THE MANILA TIMES | MARCH 31, 2019

TIGER, MCILROY BOOK LAST 16 SHOWDOWN AT WGC MATCH PLAY Golf Times E1

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WHO EXEC ALARMED MAYOR JOSEPH ESTRADA ERAP GEARS UP FOR OVER RISE IN TB CASES ‘LAST HURRAH’ IN POLITICS

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Trusted since 1898

Otso Diretso has P A L A C E T E L L S R A P P L E R C H I E F R E S S A : an easy, cost-free path to sweep Central Luzon SUNDAY STORIES MARLEN V. RONQUILLO

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S things stand, an opposition sweep of vote-rich Central Luzon is impossible right now. President Rodrigo Duterte is popular there. Not just popular, but very popular. The local government ofkCIALS ARE SOLIDLY BEHIND THE ADMINISTRAtion candidates. But the almost-hopeless fortunes of the opposition candidates for the Senate in the plains is about to dramatically change in a matter of days, or a few weeks at the most, right before the

‘Stop complaining, focus on defense’

BY CATHERINE S. VALENTE

M

ALACAĂ‘ANG on Saturday told Rappler chief Maria Ressa to “be truthful on the present situationâ€? as she cannot use freedom of the press forever to put the blame on the Duterte administration for her arrest.

In a statement, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo insisted that

Ressa’s arrest does not violate any of her rights as it underwent due process. “Instead of fomenting disrespect to the constituted authorities and using her journalistic talent t o s p r e a d h e r twisted and pretentious a d vo c a c y, s h e should focus on her defense and be truthful on her present

situation,� Panelo said. “She cannot forever hide behind the freedom of the press every time she commits what probably is a transgression of law as determined by the investigating prosecutor and the judge handling her case,� he added.

Ressa was again arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1

ÂłDefense A8

ÂłRonquillo A5

The empowerment of women and children REFLECTIONS

FR. SHAY CULLEN, SSC

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HERE is a rising tide of people power in the world today and it is female power. Women are standing up and speaking out as never before and more people are sitting up and listening to what they have to say. Their message is basic, straightforward and its most important words are: freedom from abuse, equality, justice, education.

Across the world, the “#MeToo Movement� is empowering women and girls to stand up and challenge those who

ÂłCullen A4 REACH US AT: E-mail: newsdesk@ manilatimes.net Tel. Nos.: 524-5664 to 67 Address: 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002

GONG OF PEACE President Rodrigo Duterte sounds the ‘agung’ or ‘gong,’ marking the official day of inauguration of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in Cotabato City. With Duterte is BARMM Interim Chief Minister Al Haj Murad Ebrahim.

ÂťSee story on A7 MALACANANG PHOTO

VACC: Road-rage crimes call for revival of death penalty THE founding chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Saturday again pushed for the reimposition of the death penalty in the Philippines over the recent spate of road-rage crimes in different areas in the country.

Dante Jimenez cited the killing of roadrage victim Larry Fortaleza, 54, who was gunned down in Pasay City last March 17.

0OLICE IDENTIkED THE SUSPECT WHO IS STILL at large, as Rey Dongon, aged between 2426 years old, and a resident at Upper Narra

Street, Barangay Payatas B in Quezon City.

Jimenez, who was at the victim’s wake at the Santa Rita de Cascia Chapel on Quirino Avenue, Baclaran in Paraùaque City on Friday, decried the apparently unchanging trend in violent crimes com-

mitted by perpetrators.

The victim will be interred at Providence Park in DasmariĂąas, Cavite on March 30, after a Mass at the same chapel at 1:30 p.m.

Having just attended the burial of

ÂłDeath A2

EU stunned HONASAN SITS AS DICT as deadline CHIEF IN JULY – SOTTO passes with no Brexit

On Earth Hour, public urged to curb plastic use

BRUSSELS: The date for the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union was seemingly chiseled in stone ‡ -ARCH 7HEN IT kNALLY ARRIVED with no Brexit, Europeans could only shake their heads in frustrated disbelief.

They saw three years of bluster on how Britain would leave the EU on its own terms dissolve Friday with the last of three votes in Parliament that failed to approve Prime Minister Theresa May’s divorce

IN observance of Earth Hour on Saturday, MalacaĂąang called on the public to take part in a global movement to call for the cutting down on the use of plastics.

In a statement, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo noted how Earth Hour was important for Filipinos to participate in over reports showing that the Philippines was among the top contributors of plastic waste in the world. “This year’s observance of Earth Hour

ÂłBrexit A2

SEN. Gregorio Honasan 2nd will be at the helm of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as secretary in July this year, according to Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd Sotto made the announcement in response to media queries on Honasan’s status as a result of the recent reappointment of Eliseo Rio as DICT acting secretary.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed Rio’s appointment as DICT acting head on March 25.

Sotto explained that Honasan was not able to immediately report to his new assignment as DICT head as he still needs to face the Commission on Appointments (CA).

The President signed the appointment papers of Honasan last November 20 or a month before Congress adjourned for the Christmas break last year.

Honasan, who heads the Senate defense and security committee under the current 17th Congress, will still face the CA over his new Cabinet appointment. “You are hereby nominated Secretary, Department of Information and Communications Technology,� the paper addressed to Honasan read. “By virtue hereof, and upon consent of the Commission on Appointments, you may qualify and enter upon the perforMANCE OF DUTIES OF THE OFkCE FURNISHING

ÂłDICT A2

MEET SM’S SAM The country’s first in-mall smart customer service robot was launched at SM Megamall on March 28. Sam, set to roll out to other SM malls soon, can greet, entertain and assist shoppers. In photo: SM Little Stars 2017 finalist Chie Parmisano with Sam.

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News

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SUNDAY March 31, 2019

WHO exec alarmed over rise in TB cases

BY CATHERINE A. MODESTO

T

HE World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm on the rising number of TB patients in the Philippines each year.

About 1 million or 1 percent of Filipinos are at risk of TB “at any point of time,� the highest recorded ever, according to WHO MEDICAL OFkCER AND 4" FOCAL POINT person Rajendra Yadav.

9ADAV CLARIkED THAT THE CORRECT estimate of Filipinos at risk of TB was 1 million, not 8 million as stated by a Senate candidate, Willie Ong. Yadav noted that the “Philippines is one of the few countries of the world where the incidence of TB is rising.�

According to WHO estimates, about 573,000 Filipinos contracted TB in 2016, higher than the about 581,000 recorded in 2017.

WHO is yet to release its TB records for 2018, but the incidence rates have gone up, Yadav said.

The rising incidence is caused by

the alleged inability of the government to treat over 90 percent of the people with TB, a problem recognized by the Department of Health (DoH). “We are unable to do that because we are still over-relying on cough of more than two weeks for TB screening and over-relying on sputum microscopy for TB testing,� Yadav said.

As a response, the DoH has COMMITTED TO gkNDING NOTIFYING and treating�— all ongoing — 2.5 million people with TB in four TO kVE YEARS OR BY THROUGH “Philippine Strategic TB Elimination Plan (PhilSTEP), including conducting screening with X-ray and massive testing with a rapid molecular test like Xpert of some 6 to 8 million Filipinos, tapping the private sector, establishing a com-

mittee to solve the problem of TB. Yadav said if PhilSTEP was implemented, it could “dramatically� bring down the incidence of TB and achieve global health target by 2030.

The government must do an gACTIVE AND PASSIVE CASE kNDINGu to treat TB, he added. “These need to happen in addition to the routine passive case finding, wherein people seek care for their TB symptoms by themselves. X-ray screening should be followed by Xpert testing, a rapid molecular test, recommended by WHO. Each test costs about $17 or P850.

WHO said the Philippines needs to have at least 1,100 such machines to cover the whole country by 2020.

The Philippines has about 360 Xpert machines.

A source said about 190 machines are in the pipeline using the 2018 budget.

The source added that the DoH was planning to buy 250 more machines in 2019 and 300 more

in 2020, but budget for these units was scrapped because it was allegedly realigned to fund the infrastructure projects of House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s allies. “This will delay the bold steps that DoH wanted to take against TB in the country,� the source said. “Ideally, the budget for these machines should have been a separate budget line-item to avoid its deletion by mistake as part of the whole thing,� the source added. “We need to have enough enough number of Xpert cartridges to do the tests,� the source said.

Ong, a former adviser of the Health department, said the Department of Social Welfare and Development should use a portion of its fund to help poor TB patients for screening, testing and treatment.

Ong said all big hospitals SHOULD HAVE DEDICATED OFkCERS TO coordinate and implement screenall policy against TB within those hospitals. WITH JAIME R. PILAPIL

PH affirms commitment to stop terrorist financing FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Saturday said that AS AN AFkRMATION OF THE COUNTRY S COMMITMENT TO kGHTING TERRORISM

the Philippines has co-sponsored the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2462 on combating the kNANCING OF TERRORISM Speaking before the council on March 28 at the United Nations in New York, Locsin stressed that “money is the lifeblood of terrorism� and highlighted Philippine initiatives to combat the illicit kNANCING OF TERRORISM The Philippines has by law defined terrorist financing as a separate crime and is working on amendments to the Human Security Act to address the exploitation of cyberspace for terrorism, according to Locsin.

The Philippines has likewise adopted the 2018-2022 National Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Strategy.

Locsin noted that while remittance agencies have been used as A CHANNEL FOR TERRORIST kNANCING

the challenge was to balance the requirements of counterterrorism and the needs of overseas Filipino workers, as remittances account for 9.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The Foreign Affairs chief also cited the need to monitor funds GOING TO NONPROkT ORGANIZATIONS and the relationship between terrorism and the illegal drug trade.

Philippine counterterrorism efforts are anchored on respecting human rights because of the country’s overriding responsibility to protect the law-abiding against the lawless and the innocent against those threatening their safety and well-being, he said. “Our counterterrorism efforts will remain anchored on respect for human rights and the rule of law. And always with this in mind: THAT A STATE S kRST AND FOREMOST

and overriding responsibility is to protect the law-abiding against the lawless; and the innocent against those who threaten their safety and well-being,� said Locsin.

JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

Q DEATH FROM A1

VACC: Road-rage crimes 16-year-old Christine Silawan, who was violently murdered in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu also this month, Jimenez expressed serious concern over the killing of Fortaleza, and aired his urgent appeal for legislators, especially those running for reelection in the midterm elections on May 13, to seriously consider the implications of the incident in terms of law and order and public safety. “I hope that legislators, especially during this election season, will give particular attention to the reimposition of the death penalty for heinous crimes. We believe that since there is no clear substitute

that would give justice to victims’ lives, the death penalty is the closest we can muster to get justice for victims of heinous crimes,� he said in a statement.

Jimenez exhorted the public to support the crusade for the reinstatement of capital punishment, saying the murder of Fortaleza exposes a looming breakdown of law and order. “This outrageous incident should now send the message for government to draw the line and put an end to such heinous crimes. It is now time to reinstate the death penalty and restore public order and sanity in society,� he said.

Q BREXIT FROM A1

EU stunned as deadline

CLEAN-UP A man picks up the floating pile of trash at the Estero de Magdalena in Recto, Manila. The Environment department will hold a simultaneous cleanup of the city’s waterways today, Sunday . PHOTO BY DJ DIOSINA

PA L AC E:

‘Optimism poll shows confidence in Duterte’ MALACAĂ‘ANG on Saturday welcomed the latest Business Expectations Survey, which showed imPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS CONkDENCE in the country’s economy.

Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced that Filipino consumers and local businesses TURNED MORE OPTIMISTIC IN THE kRST QUARTER DUE TO EASING INlATION AS well as the onset of the election period, which was expected to boost economic activity and spending. “The Palace welcomes the lat-

est Business Expectations Survey showing business outlook in the country rising to 35.2 percent in THE kRST QUARTER OF FROM percent during the last quarter of 2018,� Panelo said.

Quoting the BSP which released the survey, Panelo said the latest kGURE WAS THE HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE the second quarter of 2018. “We consider this jump of business optimism as a good indicator of strong business and investor CONkDENCE TO THE DECISIVE LEADership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his competent eco-

Q DICT FROM A1

HONASAN SITS AS DICT THIS /FkCE AND THE #IVIL 3ERVICE Commission with copies of your OATH OF OFkCE u IT SAID MalacaĂąang spokesman Salvador Panelo earlier said the PresiDENT HAD FULL TRUST AND CONkDENCE

in Honasan, citing his integrity and competence to lead the DICT. He added that Honasan would still have to face the CA inquiry and address concerns that may be raised about his appointment.

Q PLASTIC FROM A1

On Earth Hour focuses on the issue of single-use plastics, which is a major problem in the country. A United Nations report shows the Philippines as ONE OF THE TOP kVE CONTRIBUTORS of plastic waste in the world’s oceans,� Panelo said. “We therefore call on everyone to cut down on the rampant use of plastics as we continue to aspire for a clean, safe and healthy environment,� he added.

Earth Hour is a global initia-

tive that began in 2007, encouraging people from all over the world to switch off their lights for an hour to raise awareness on environmental woes.

The Philippines has been an active participant of Earth Hour since 2009, and was consistently one of the environmental movement’s biggest advocates.

Last year, MalacaĂąang said climate change was an issue relevant to the Philippines, especially

nomic team, which resulted in THE EASING OF INlATION AND HIGHER government infrastructure spending, two of the primary reasons mentioned by respondents for their upbeat outlook,� he added.

4HE 0ALACE OFkCIAL NOTED THAT the Duterte administration was prioritizing efforts to expand country’s economy.

Based on the report released by the BSP, investor and consumer sentiment was greatly boosted as the year opened, riding expectations of more business and job opportunities.

"USINESS CONkDENCE ALSO RECOVERED IN THE kRST THREE MONTHS OF 2019, ending a four consecutive quarters of decline.

According to the BSP, a major contributor to the improvement was the surge in business activities ahead of the 2019 midterm polls.

Bigger government infrastructure spending also contributed to the rosier outlook. Other factors were perceived enhancements in business strategies, as well as expansion plans and new product lines.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

“When the President nominates, it’s for the Commission on Appointments to approve the nomination,â€? Panelo said. “There will be vetting there‌ and you will have to respond to questions on his competence,â€? he added.

Honasan could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

President Duterte signed the ap-

pointment papers of Rio on Tuesday, naming him as acting DICT secretary.

2IO WAS NAMED $)#4 OFkCER in-charge in October 2017 after Secretary Rodolfo Salalima was asked by Duterte to resign in September for allegedly favoring certain internet company to enter the Philippine market.

JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

AFTER THE COUNTRY WAS IDENTIkED AS among the most vulnerable to the impact of the weather phenomenon in the “2016 Global Climate Risk Index� presented by the German Watch. “The President has recognized this and has made the protection of the environment a priority during his State of the Nation Address,� the Palace had said.

In his State of the Nation Address in 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte warned mining companies that he would “tax them to death� unless they restore the “virginity� of exploited areas.

“You have to come up with a substitute, either spend to restore the virginity of the source or I will tax you to death,� Duterte had said.

The President had blamed climate change on Western countries, saying they only called for a global effort to address climate change only after witnessing their actions’ impact on the environment.

In March 2017, in spite of misgivings, Duterte signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, a pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep global temperature increases to below 2 degrees Celsius. CATHERINE S. VALENTE

deal, leaving an uncertain course. “There was no game plan.

Well, no strategy,� Philippe Lamberts, a key member of the European Parliament’s Brexit steering group, said of the British approach in an interview with The Associated Press.

Few in Britain would disagree.

For decades, the bloc was the target of ridicule in Britain for what was perceived as European hubris and an inefficient bureaucracy. But on Friday, there was very little gloating on the continent as May failed to get the deal through the UK Parliament, sending London deeper into the Brexit morass. “We have resisted the temptation to position the [EU] Commission in terms of sentiments,� said EU spokesman Margaritis Schinas. “We don’t do that.�

The EU called another emergency summit for April 10, two days ahead of a new withdrawal date. A chaotic “no-deal� departure scenario is expected to be costly to UK businesses and inconvenient at its border. May said there would be “grave� implications.

The EU doesn’t want to inlAME PASSIONS EVEN MORE BEcause it also stands to suffer, with hundreds of billions of euros and tens of thousands of jobs at stake for a UK exit without transitional measures in place. “In Brexit, everybody loses,� said Ewa Osniecka-Tamecka, a vice rector of the College of Europe, speaking at a branch in Natolin, Poland. “Brexit diminishes both the EU and the UK�

There was frustration among EU OFkCIALS WHO FELT THAT THEY AND THEIR star negotiator Michel Barnier did their part and Britain didn’t.

Even Nigel Farage, a British driving force behind Brexit and staunch EU opponent, has nothing but admiration for Barnier who kept 27 nations aligned as one while Britain, as one, crumbled into chaos.

“Oh, in terms of doing his job.

Goodness gracious me. Look, you know, I wish he was on my team and not their team,� Farage, a member of the European Parliament, told the AP. Almost three years after the June 23, 2016, Brexit referendum, the British government and Parliament seem to be still at a loss over what they really want from the EU. “Britain is at a dead end,� said Nathalie Loiseau, who was France’s Europe Minister until she resigned this week to run in the May 23 to 26 EU elections. “Europeans have other priorities than having to wait until the UK takes a decision.�

What also is in tatters is a European admiration of Britain as a symbol of a well-run parliamentary democracy, with its sometimes brilliant discourse and vigorous debate.

Lamberts said he was stunned at how May’s Conservative Party as well as those in the Labor Party seemed to act in their own interests, rather than the needs of the country. “It’s the inability to build compromise,� Lamberts said. “That’s it. Party above country, in the most brutal sense of the word.�

Manfred Weber, a European lawmaker from Germany and center-right candidate to head the European Commission, said the repeated rejection of the deal highlighted “a failure of the political class in Great Britain — there’s no other way to describe it.�

Some saw Friday’s events as another blow to Britain’s international standing. “The British have given the world a great deal, from modern parliamentarism to the world title in the discipline of ‘muddling through,’� historian Michael Stuermer wrote in a front-page commentary in German daily Die Welt.

Now, however, “the damage to the country’s re putation is unmistakable.�

AP

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Desalination to boost water supply – Ilarde

F

ORMER senator Eddie Ilarde on Saturday urged the government to explore desalination of sea water to help solve the water shortage experienced in parts of Metro Manila and Rizal.

In a statement, Ilarde warned that a long dry spell or El NiĂąo meant depletion of water from ground water sources. “Even now Angat Dam, La Mesa Dam and other sources are nearing critical low level. Angat Dam is on top of an earthquake fault,â€? he said.

Laguna de Bay, the biggest inland fresh water lake in Southeast

Asia, he noted, was on the throes of drying up due to its shallowness and pollution, exacerbated by the dry spell. “But due to the crisis we face, it can still be tapped for treated water supply by the concessionaire water companies. Treating such polluted water might be too expensive, that is why they are looking at abandoned deep wells,� he said.

“We suggest desalination of water from Manila Bay, which, due to a concerted effort of Department of Environment and Natural Resources, to clean it, can supply any quantity for desalination,�

Ilarde said.

The Philippines should also solicit advice and help from friendly gulf state Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and others, also Barcelona, Spain about the best procedure in conserving desalinated water and its distribution, he said. “These places depend mostly on desalinated water. Second-hand

desalination equipment donation shall be most welcome. The government can do no less than purchase the same for our needs,�

Ilarde said.

Ilarde, a pioneer environmentalist in Congress, has studied the condition of Laguna de Bay, Pasig River and Manila Bay, and has recommended how these waterways can help the people.

He is founding chairman of Maharlika Movement for National Transformation and an active supporter of the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, Pasig River and Laguna de Bay.

Sara told: Don’t back dishonest candidates DETAINED Sen. Leila de Lima on Saturday urged Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to stop campaigning for “dishonest� candidates who merely use her to gain public approval ahead of the national and local elections on May 13.

De Lima gave the unsolicited advice after the presidential daughter, the campaign manager of administration’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago, sent her an Open Letter lashing out at her for disputing her (Duterte-Carpio) earlier remark that honesty was not an election issue.

The senator reminded DuterteCarpio that most candidates stand by her not because they believe in her vision but simply because they are taking the opportunity to reap ALL THE BENEkTS THEY CAN GET FROM siding with her. “Unless you are one of them, don’t waste your life defending the dishonest, the corrupt, and the people whom you know will ABUSE THEIR OFkCE 9OUR AMBITION should not take precedence over our country’s future,� she said in a reply to Duterte-Carpio’s “Honesty� letter. g5SE YOUR PLATFORM TO kGHT FOR a better Philippines. Do the right thing. Stop campaigning for trapos (traditional politicians) and MISkTS u DE ,IMA ADDED Duterte-Carpio had pressed de Lima to propose a law that would add honesty as a requirement for PUBLIC OFkCE EVEN AS SHE TOOK A swipe at the senator’s illegal drug trading charges.

JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

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Stop measles outbreak, DILG chief orders LGUs THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Saturday ordered all local government units (LGU) to intensify their efforts in countering the ballooning number of measles cases in the country.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Aùo said in a statement that local governments must give further support to the Health department’s Nationwide Immunization Campaign and other programs to curb the spike of measles cases.

There are almost 23,000 cases of measles as of March 19, according to THE OFkCIAL DATA OF THE $EPARTMENT of Health.

This is way higher than last year’s 2,393 reported cases.

Aùo said LGUs should ensure the campaign’s successful conduct and implementation, ensure active participation of health workers and OTHER OFkCIALS AND ENCOURAGE THEIR constituents to bring all suspected measles cases to the nearest health facility for early proper treatment.

Information and immunization campaign should also be propagated

among communities, he recommended. “The measles outbreak was fueled by a scare which can be corrected through intensive information dissemination. The nationwide immunization campaign is a vehicle for us to reverse the measles outbreak and we turn to our LGUs to be our partners in encouraging parents to have their children immunized,�

AĂąo said. “This information and immunization campaign will be senseless if it will not reach the communities and neutralize the measles cases in the country so that’s why it is important that we need the help of LGUs,â€? he added.

He also encouraged parents to get their children vaccinated to prevent getting contacted by a curable disease like measles.

AĂąo and other health sectors previously blamed the rise of measles cases to the Dengvaxia mess last year, believing the controversy caused parents to not get their children vaccinated. ROY D.R. NARRA

Some NGOs are Red fronts — military

GOING HOME

A group of young Muslim girls preparing to go home after attending classes in a Madrasa (Islamic School) in Baseco, Tondo. PHOTO BY DJ DIOSINA

THE Armed Forces on the Philippines on Saturday expressed its confidence that it could prove to Belgium that some nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in the Philippines are the front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, Armed Forces spokesman, said the investigation would be in their favor and it would stop them (the communist rebels) from receiving funds from Brussels. “We are confident that we will succeed in proving our case. Soon the flow of funds to organizations like Ibon Foundation, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Anakbayan and other front organizations will stop. It will also halt

the many years spent and millions of pesos funneled to support the terrorist movement,� he said.

Arevalo also thanked the European Union Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen for accepting their report and Belgian Ambassador to Manila Michel Goffin for his support. “We express our appreciation to the EU and the Belgian Ambassadors to the Philippines for the manifest keen interest of their governments. It shows that they desire to ensure that their support do not end up with organizations that actually or indirectly support terrorist activities,� he said.

Goffin earlier said that Belgium was already investigating the Armed Forces’ claims.

ROY D.R. NARRA

Manicad: Govt negligence in Yolanda aftermath not ‘fake news’ SENATE hopeful Rodrigo “Jiggy�

Manicad Jr. said the incompetence and negligence of government in the wake of Super Typhoon 9OLANDA THAT HIT %ASTERN 6ISAYAS in 2013 was not fake news.

This was after the camp of Senate candidate and former Interior secretary Manuel “Mar�

Roxas 2nd asked voters not to fall for misleading information about allegedly missing funds FOR THE REHABILITATION OF 9OLANDA affected areas. “With respect to former Sec. Mar, ‘yun naman ay hindi (it’s not) fake news. Tanungin niyo na lang po ‘yung mga taga-Leyte (Ask the people of Leyte),� Manicad said.

But if it was fake news, Manicad said people should not forget the ineptness of government

in the aftermath of Typhoon 9OLANDA “There may be ‘fake news’ surrounding the misuse of funds FOLLOWING 4YPHOON 9OLANDA BUT the public must not forget the incompetence and negligence of government response during the crisis,� Manicad said in an interview.

The former journalist from GMA 7 who covered the onslaught of the typhoon recalled how slow the government response was during that time. “ Kasama kami ng mga taga Leyte nung rumagasa ang bagyong 9OLANDA 7E WERE with Leyte residents during the ONSLAUGHT OF 4YPHOON 9OLANda). We thought we were going to die. We were the first and only network to go live then.

To the horror of the victims in the hours, days following the typhoon, wala pa ring tulong (there was no help). Konti pa lang ang rumeresponde (Only few were responding),� Manicad said. “ Kami na (We) reporters, we all knew that the biggest typhoon on record was coming.

Surely, alam din ‘yan ng DILG (the Department of Interior and Local Government knew).

Bakit nagkulang pa rin tayo sa agarang pagsuplay ng tubig, kuryente, pagkain pagkatapos ng bagyo? (Why did we still lack immediate supply of water, electricity and food after the typhoon),“ he added.

On Thursday, Roxas’ spokesman, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, shared in a statement that Sen.

0ANkLO ,ACSON S TESTIMONY EXONerated the former Interior chief from accusations that he stole money earmarked for the reconSTRUCTION OF 9OLANDA HIT AREAS “Malinaw sa mga CoA (Commission on Elections) report, sa mga ginawang imbestigasyon, at ngayon, sa sinabi ng rehabilitation czar na si Senator Ping Lacson: Walang ninakaw na 9OLANDA funds si Mar Roxas (It is clear from CoA reports, from investigations conducted, and now, from what rehabilitation czar Senator Ping Lacson said: Mar Roxas did not steal any 9OLANDA FUNDS u %RICE SAID Erice called on the public to stick to the truth. !FTER 9OLANDA PUMMELED households and establish-

ments in November 2013, then President Benigno Aquino 3rd appointed Lacson as the rehabilitation czar, working with Roxas, who was then Interior secretary.

Manicad said “[o]ne could clearly point out the lack of structure and coordination in the AFTERMATH OF 4YPHOON 9OLANDA It took days sometimes just for bodies to be picked up, for some areas to receive water.

Nagnanakawan, nagkakasakitan na ang mga tao (People were stealing from and hurting each other).�

He called on the government TO gHEED THE LESSONS OF 9OLANDAu in preparation for future natural disasters that could be aggravated by climate change.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

Possession of illegal drugs and paraphernalia Dear PAO, My son has been arrested for violating Sections 11 and 12 of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or “An Act Instituting the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.�

Two sachets of shabu with a total weight of 0.08 gram and two aluminium foil strips were allegedly seized from my son when he attended the birthday party of HIS OFkCEMATE IN !LABANG #ONsequently, the apprehending ofkCERS kLED TWO CASES AGAINST HIM before the Regional Trial Court of Muntinlupa City. What are the offences allegedly committed by my son? If proven guilty, what will be his penalties for violating the above-mentioned law?

Christopher Dear Christopher, The Supreme Court in the case of People of the Philippines vs. Rolando Santos Zaragoza (GR 233142, Jan. 17, 2018), through Associate Justice and current Ombudsman

dangerous drug into the body; and (2) such possession is not authorized by law. xxx Possession, DEAR PAO includes not only actual possession, but also constructive possession. There is actual possession when the illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia are in the immediSamuel Martires, discussed the ele- ate control and possession of a ments of Sections 11 (Possession of person while constructive posIllegal Drugs) and 12 (Possession session exists when the drug is of Drug Paraphernalia), Article II of under the dominion or control of RA 9165, to wit: “The elements of a person or when he has the right Section 11 are as follows: (1) the ac- to exercise dominion and control cused is in possession of an item over the place where it is found.�

OR OBJECT WHICH IS IDENTIkED TO BE (Emphases supplied) To sustain the conviction of your prohibited or regulated drug; (2) son, the prosecution must adduce such possession is not authorized evidence that the illegal drugs and by law; and (3) the accused freely drug paraphernalia were recovered and consciously possessed the from the possession of your son drug. xxx violation of Sec. 12, Art. and that such possession was not II of RA 9165, its elements being as authorized by law.

Furthermore, follows: (1) possession or control by the accused of any equipment, it must likewise be proven that apparatus or other paraphernalia your son freely and consciously kT OR INTENDED FOR SMOKING CON- possessed the illegal drugs and suming, administering, injecting, paraphernalia. Also, there can be ingesting, or introducing any no crimes of illegal possession

PERSIDA ACOSTA

of drugs and contrabands when nagging doubts persist on whether the items confiscated were the same specimens examined and established to be seized from the possession of your son.

To answer your question on penalties, we shall refer to the provisions of Sections 11 and 12, Article II of RA 9165, thus: “Section 11. Possession of Dangerous Drugs. – xxx (3) Imprisonment of twelve (12) years and one (1) day to twenty (20) years and a kNE RANGING FROM 4HREE HUNDRED thousand pesos (P300,000.00) to Four hundred thousand pesos (P400,000.00), if the quantities of dangerous drugs are less than five (5) grams of opium, morphine, heroin, cocaine or cocaine hydrochloride, marijuana resin or marijuana resin oil, methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu,� or other dangerous drugs such as, but not limited to, MDMA or “ecstasy,� PMA, TMA, LSD, GHB and those similarly designed or

newly introduced drugs and their derivatives, without having any therapeutic value or if the quantity possessed is far beyond therapeutic requirements; or less than 300 grams of marijuana. “Section 12. Possession of Equipment, Instrument, Apparatus and Other Paraphernalia for Dangerous Drugs. - The penalty of imprisonment ranging from six (6) months and one (1) day TO FOUR YEARS AND A kNE RANGing from Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) to Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) shall be imposed upon any person, who, unless authorized by law, shall possess or have under his/her control any equipment, instrument, apparaTUS AND OTHER PARAPHERNALIA kT OR INTENDED FOR SMOKING CONsuming, administering, injecting, ingesting, or introducing any dangerous drug into the body.�

(Emphases supplied) Based on the foregoing, if your son will be proven guilty, the

penalty for possession of less than 5 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride is imprisonment of 12 years and one day to 20 years AND A kNE RANGING FROM 0

to P400,000. Meanwhile, the penalty of imprisonment ranging from six months and one day to FOUR YEARS AND A kNE RANGING FROM P10,000.00 to P50,000 shall be imposed upon any person, who will be found guilty of having in his possession any illegal drug paraphernalia used for consuming any illegal drug.

7E kND IT NECESSARY TO MENTION that this opinion is solely based on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. Thus, the opinion may vary when the facts are changed or further elaborated.

We hope that we were able to enlighten you on the matter.

Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily column of the Public Attorney’s OfkCE 1UESTIONS FOR #HIEF !COSTA MAY be sent to dearpao@manilatimes.net

A4

Opinion

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

The Sunday Times

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E d i to r i a l A ship we cannot afford to sink

S

EAFARING is a profession that continues to be a source of Filipino pride. This is because the Philippines is the world’s largest supplier of seafarers, and these members of industrious, talented and resilient Filipino crew run the ships that drive global trade and tourism.

Right now, however, the Philippine maritime industry is in a perilous situation, as the latest deployment numbers show.

On Saturday, The Manila Times, in an exclusive story, reported that the country’s deployment of seafarers slumped by more than 100,000 in 2018.

Preliminary data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed that seafarer deployment dropped by 111,961 from the year-earlier level to 337,502 in January to December 2018.

This will have serious implications on the consumption-led Philippine economy. Seafarers remit close to $5.8 billion to the country annually, according to the 5NITED 3EAFARERS !SSOCIATION AND IF THE lOW OF CASH transfers stop, their families would go hungry.

Filipino seafarers are facing a tougher global market and may lose their edge if we do not take urgent measures to make them more competitive.

One, they have become more expensive. One manning agency estimates that a messman from the Philippines gets paid about $1,000 a month, SIGNIkCANTLY HIGHER THAN THE RANGE FOR Indonesian seafarers.

The cost of hiring Filipino seafarers is bound to go up further with the implementation of amendments to the Social Security System (SSS) charter, in which SEA BASED OVERSEAS WORKERS ARE NOW CLASSIkED AS REGUlar workers, instead of contractual.

The law also requires manning agents to remit the SSS contributions of the seafarers they had supplied to their principals, as they are now considered employers.

In addition, there is a problem called “ambulancechasing,” in which unscrupulous lawyers exploit legal disputes between seafarers and their employers, usually involving health claims. As a result, shipowners are hiring more seafarers from other countries. India, FOR INSTANCE IS EXPERIENCING SIGNIkCANT GROWTH IN employment at 35 percent in 2018. India deployed 208,799 seafarers in 2018, from 154,349 in 2017.

Other countries are also looking at grabbing the Philippines’ enviable spot as the top supplier of seafarers. China is already the biggest supplier of ship OFkCERS AND 2USSIA AND THE 5KRAINE ARE PRESENTING themselves to be better alternatives.

We haven’t even mentioned yet the problem of substandard training in maritime schools. Earlier this month, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. urged Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero “Popoy” de Vera Jr. to improve the competitive edge of Filipino seafarers by tapping respectable auditors in checking the country’s maritime schools.

Philippine maritime education programs have long been under the scrutiny of the European Maritime Safety Agency, whose decision to fail the country following a 2006 audit is also one of the reasons for the decline in deployment.

Given all that, collective action is needed to ensure the country’s continued advantage in the seafaring industry, SPECIkCALLY IN THE AREAS OF LABOR REGULATIONS AND EDUCAtional standards. It’s a ship that we cannot afford to sink.

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

The Sunday Times

VOLUME 120 NUMBER 169

DANTE A. ANG, Chairman Emeritus RENE Q. BAS, Publisher Emeritus NERILYN A. TENORIO, Publisher-Editor ARNOLD E. BELLEZA, Executive Editor FELIPE F. SALVOSA II, Managing Editor LEENA C. CHUA, News Editor LYNETTE O. LUNA, National Editor TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA, Lifestyle Editor PERRY GIL MALLARI, Sports Editor LEA MANTO-BELTRAN, Supplements Editor JOMAR CANLAS, Chief of Reporters RENE H. DILAN, Chief Photographer DANTE F. M. ANG 2ND, President and CEO BLANCA C. MERCADO, #HIEF /PERATING /FkCER RODA A. ZABAT, Advertising Director VICENTE P. CRUZ, JR., Circulation Director DENISE O. CALNEA, Marketing Communications and Services Director Telephone All Departments: 524-5665 to 66; Subscription: 524-5664 Local 222 Advertising: 524-5664 Local 121 Telefax: 310-5895 or e-mail advertising@manilatimes.net www.manilatimes.net • e-mail newsdesk@manilatimes.net Letters to the Editor THE MANILA TIMES is published daily at 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002 The owners, managers, publishers and editors do not necessarily share the opinions expressed and the statements made by individual authors of columns, commentaries and other articles published in The Manila Times.

If we want to be good, we need goodness graces Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ … So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.

— The Second Letter to the Corinthians, 5:17-21

C

AN it be done? Can you and I actually become like God? That may be the big question for some readers of last Sunday’s column, not to mention millions of Catholics taking seriously our Lord’s admonition in the Gospel of St. Matthew (5:48): “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” And God the Father’s command, too: “Be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44).

Baptism gets us started on the road to divine perfection. Says the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC par. 1265), partly based on the above-quoted second Mass reading today: “Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte ‘a new creature,’ an adopted son of God, who has become ‘a partaker of the divine nature,’ member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of

FAITH HEALER RICARDO SALUDO the Holy Spirit.”

That’s the theory. The dismal reality, however, is that everyone is anything but perfectly holy, and many are the very opposite — just see the news. So, even devout believers understandably wonder if humanity is really capable of Godliness, let alone called to it.

How can it be, many would scoff, that Hitler and Pol Pot, Jack the Ripper and Charles Manson, the despoilers of Nanking, and the online murderers of Daesh were meant for holiness and heaven?

From satanist to apostle The answer is in the Corinthians epistle: “... all this is from God who has reconciled us to himself through Christ.” The Almighty will perfect us if we truly wish it and open ourselves to his transforming Word and Spirit.

Really? Doubters should ponder the life of Bartolo Longo

(1841-1925). In his youth, the Pompeii lawyer joined antiCatholic activism against the Pope, which eventually led him to be ordained a satanist priest.

By Longo’s account, this demonic phase brought “depression, nervousness and confusion.” He then sought help from a hometown friend, who brought him to a Dominican priest. Longo learned to pray the Rosary, and in 1871 became a lay member of the Order of Preachers, taking the name Rosario.

For the next half-century, Longo promoted the devotion to the Rosary, among other faith advocacies, and led the building of a cathedral dedicated to Mary, where many miracles happened.

In 1980, Pope St. John Paul 2nd BEATIkED ,ONGO CALLING HIM THE Apostle of the Rosary.

Countless other tales of 360-degree conversion by divine intervenTION kLL THE ANNALS OF THE #HURCH

like those of St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. Ignatius of Loyola. They show that God can bring humanity to the heights of holiness, even from diabolical depths.

In our time and country, there is the tale of charismatic preacher Bro. Chito Jongco, a former colo-

nel jailed over a decade ago for his young son’s shooting of a maid, using his unlicensed gun. Reading the Bible in prison, Jongco found conversion, studied theology at San Carlos Seminary and joined the charismatic movement.

Another local conversion story is about erstwhile Protestant pastor Noe Dova, then a virulent opponent of Catholicism, especially our devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Part of Dova’s past preaching was leading adherents in smashing images of Mary.

One day, as he was about to bring down his hammer on a Marian statue, he heard a voice in Filipino: “Why are you so angry at my mother?” That stopped Noe’s blow, and eventually led him to the Church, against his family’s wishes. He now preaches the faith to congregations, even Protestant ones, and has built missions where other converted pastors preach and live.

So, it’s plain that God can bring forth sanctity from sin and even satanism, if we but turn to Him in faith, hope and love. Indeed, in some cases, even when one may not yet believe and pray, there could be conversion.

Among accounts of the power of

³SaludoA5

Q CULLEN FROM A1

The empowerment of women and children have harassed, abused or exploited them. Women themselves are challenging the historical oppression they endured for so long in submissive docility. They are now speaking out, holding their abusers, mostly men, to account and finding the courage to call them out and bring them to justice.

It takes bravery, too, to shake off the shackles of slavery and walk free. We are in a new age, but the real struggle for the rights and equality of women and children lies ahead.

The poor are the most vulnerable. Jenny, a 14-year old girl from a poor slum in Manila, had very little in this world. She was not well-loved at home, feared her strict father, and so she joined a street gang. They introduced her to Juan Gonzales, who appeared to befriend her, gave her money, a cell phone, new clothes, and brought her to fastfood restaurants. He was grooming her for something, and that day came when he brought her to a hotel room and sexually violated her. Then, he warned her to tell no one. He gave her money.

She was confused, shocked and felt guilt and obligated because he paid her.

The abuse went on for many months and Jenny became scared and submissive. She wanted to end it, but had nowhere to turn. One day in a school seminar, she heard about the rights of girls to be free and self-reliant and how to report

any physical or sexual abuse. She sent out a text message: “I want to be free, help me,” it said.

Jenny contacted the Preda Foundation charity that helps sexually exploited women and girls. Soon, she received care and protection from the threats of Gonzales. Jenny had Emotional Release Therapy for weeks. She poured out her anger and hatred of Gonzales. In time, she grew in self-confidence, was empowered and determined to file a criminal complaint against Gonzales.

With the help of Preda, she courageously gave a clear, powerful testimony against him.

A few weeks ago, the court decision was promulgated.

Gonzalez was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced to life in prison. Justice was done.

Many more children will be saved from his abuse. It was made possible by the public awareness and advocacy campaign for the rights of women and children.

We all should be advocates, inviting victims to tell their story, listening, believing and helping them. There are many thousands of similar cases like that of Jenny's and they can be helped if they are believed, encouraged and supported when they want healing and justice.

While many women and girls are fighting back against violence and sexual abuse, many more are unable. It is estimated

that 35 percent of women and girls worldwide have suffered sexual or physical violence from a male. In some countries, research puts that figure at 70 percent. It causes misery, depression and powerlessness.

Where does it all begin if not in the home? It is a vicious cycle of violence begetting violence. Those male children who witnessed their mother being beaten by their father or her live-in partner and experienced violence themselves were found to be highly likely to perpetuate the same kind of violence against women in adult life. It is what children experience, see and hear from their parents that have the most profound influence on them in later life.

On the 6th of March, 20 minors ages 14 to 17 were admitted into the Preda home for abused and trafficked girls.

They had been rescued from a sex hotel and a resort where foreigners of all nationalities were supplied with trafficked children for their sexual gratification. Many of the girls had suffered sexual violence. They are now recovering and following the example of Jenny.

Think about this: it is reliably estimated that 71 percent of trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls. Out of every four children trafficked, three of them are girls, the majority of them are trafficked for sexual exploitation. Statistics do

tell the truth. When we look at the extent of abuse worldwide, we see a horrific reality.

It has been established in 2018 that about 15 million girls have experienced sexual violence and rape at least once if not more in their lives, and 9 million of these adolescent girls were sexually assaulted in the past year alone. Unlike Jenny and the other children in care at Preda, only 1 percent ever asked for help. Migrants and refugees in Europe and the United States are also at risk. They need help and protection.

Less that 40 percent of exploited women and children ever seek out help. Most of those who do, ask for help from teachers, family and friends.

Less than 10 percent of these women and minors asked help from the police.

It’s not so long ago when women and child abuse was ignored totally. Now, there are laws to protect them but they are seldom implemented. Local governments give permits to the sex bars and hotels to operate.

It’s legalized sexual exploitation.

There is much to do to educate society on women and children’s rights, eradicate misogynist attitudes and provide genuine help and support for abused women and children everywhere. May the wave of protest keep rising until the evil is overcome.

www.preda.org

The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY March 31, 2019

Q RONQUILLO FROM A1

Otso Diretso has an easy, cost-free path to sweep Central Luzon May elections. Thanks to a harebrained, anti-people, anti-poor plan of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

More, the Otso Diretso candidates do not need to execute a vote-getting PROGRAM 4HEY DON T NEED TO SPEND A cent and Central Luzon will vote in favor of these eight candidates.

OK, what will the MMDA do that will enrage the citizens of Central Luzon so much to push them into the direction of the Otso Diretso senatorial candidates? Here is the story: The MMDA will soon divert all buses from the four Central Luzon provinces — Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan and Tarlac — into the innards of Valenzuela City, -ETRO -ANILA S LAST CITY ON THE NORTH SIDE and a city notorious for its two-lane inTERIOR ROADS AND MASSIVE TRAFkC JAMS !LL buses from the four provinces will have to unload their passengers at the so-called Valenzuela Central Terminal, where Metro Manila buses will pick them up.

(I am one of these passengers because I commute to the city from my barrio in Pampanga to file this piece for The Manila Times )N THE BARRIO ) CAN T have access to files and materials. My text-and-call cellular phone is 15 years OLD THAT CAN T LINK TO THE WEB If we draw a timeline for what will happen, here is a chronological order of this narrative of suffering for the passengers affected, including this typist.

From an NLEx toll booth at Valenzuela City, the buses will make snail-pace trips to the so-called Central Terminal in Valenzuela. This will take between 30 minutes and one hour. From there, Metro Manila buses will take them to their drop-off points along EDSA. From Valenzuela to Camachile alone, this will take about an hour. From Camachile to the drop-off points along

EDSA, another hour will be a conservative estimate. This is assuming that the bus pile at the NLEx toll booth would not create heavy snarls.

At the very least, commuters will add one hour due to the double-handling, WITH TRAFkC VERY LIGHT !T WORST THE COMmute will be two hours longer. Or more.

The commuters will have to pay more for the additional rides, on top of the inconvenience. Imagine this: waiting for the ride to the city at Valenzuela during the peak of the summer heat.

Or during heavy rains.

Pregnant women, senior citizens like this typist, kids, people with disabilities will suffer the most.

Do you think the commuters will just suffer in silence and pay extra for this harebrained and anti-poor plan called Central Terminal and say, “Hugpong Pa Rin?� No, the commuters who will suffer will vote overwhelmingly for the Otso Diretso — as payback for the unnecessary suffering INlICTED ON THEM BY THE --$!

Right now, regular commuters talk often about this plan and the disdain and opposition is very intense. Remember that the commuters are BPO (business process outsourcing) workers, small traders, students and people with social media presence.

There is no wrath more palpable than the wrath of small people deprived of their freedom of mobility .

Why do I call the supposed Central Terminal diversion as hare-brained and unnecessary? Because there is no underLYING MATH IN THE WHOLE lAWED PLAN The number of buses on EDSA will not be reduced by the plan. Because the number of provincial carriers that will be banned from entering Metro Manila will be equivalent to the number of Metro Manila buses that will pick up the passengers. That is just basic math.

The load of 50 provincial buses will have to be picked up at Valenzuela by 50 Metro Manila buses.

The MMDA Central Terminal plan will JUST INlICT SUFFERING ON PEOPLE FROM THE four Central Luzon provinces without lightening the vehicular load at EDSA. How vote-rich is this region that would swing to the Otso Diretso due to the impairment of the freedom of mobility of the people there? In the last barangay (village) elections, more than 6.3 million voted for the barangay candidates. It is SAFE TO SAY THAT MORE THAN THAT kGURE WILL vote in the 2019 senatorial elections.

And the four provinces affected — Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac and Bataan — are the most populous areas of the region.

The Philippines is the only sad country in the world that targets the mass carriers when it crafts its traffic decongestion programs. The ratio of vehicles at EDSA is this: 75 percent cars and other private vehicles, with PUVs comprising only 25 percent.

"USES THE COUNTRY S DE FACTO MASS carriers, carry 35 passengers during lean trips at as much as 50 during the peak passenger hours. A car carries one-and-a-half passengers at the most.

The convoy of the prime minister of Singapore gives way to buses, mindful that the buses perform what is now the 4th rail of modern democracy — mobility of people. That is the level of respect that First World countries vest on their mass carriers.

Here it is ban the mass carriers and spare the cars.

Where is the campaign promise of Mr. Duterte to just “burn those cars�?

Another question: “Which developer/real estate giant owns the so-called central terminal? In this day and age, so-called Central Terminals are just real estate plays, no more, no less.

Management hacks, anyone?

S

OMETIMES, being unconventional can pay dividends for organizations, be they companies, foundations, or even schools. That decision entails risks; however, if addressed properly, these risks can translate into growth.

The most tangible signs of convention ARE PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES WHICH DEkNE the bureaucratic image of many institutions.

Unfortunately, many people consider these as straight-cut rules, more than guidelines that are simply meant to “guide� the organization in achieving certain goals.

Worse, even some managers think that deviating from what are strictly stated in the “book� must be meted with punishment. In this case, sound management is confused with the display of the lack of imagination, incapacity for innovation and resourcefulness, and the dull reluctance to pursue development.

For a number of esteemed non-traditional organizations, success does not have to follow a strict formula to produce desirable results. Business consultant Marcus Buckingham, in his book First, Break All the Rules, explores the risks of deviating from the norms, which he considers as opportunities for improvement.

While I do not advocate that unorthodox managerial practices be massively put into practice, I dare say there is wisdom in getting acquainted with a variety of managerial methods, which have led to many successes for different institutions. !N UNPOPULAR kNDING IN "UCKINGHAM S book shows that exceptional managers select their personnel based on talents, not on experience, intelligence or determination. Here, talent is considered as the natural ability to perform something effortlessly and almost perfectly.

The position makes sense, as Buckingham says, because skills and knowledge can be taught. Talent is intrinsic, EITHER YOU HAVE IT OR YOU DON T )N organizations, there are many desirable results, which can be more efficiently

inadvertently alter the behaviors of your stars. Guided by your apparent indifference, your stars may start to do less of what MADE THEM STARS IN THE kRST PLACE AND MORE of other kinds of behaviors that might net them some kind of reaction from you.�

He also concludes that effective execuachieved with the use of talent more TIVES LOOK FOR PERSONNEL THAT ARE A RIGHT kT than the use of skills and knowledge for key positions in the organization rather that are gained from experience. than relentlessly promoting people to their !NOTHER kNDING IS THAT EFFECTIVE MANAG- level of incompetence. It is almost a sacred ERS DEkNE THE RIGHT OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE DUTY FOR LEADERS TO HUNT FOR PEOPLE WHO kT not the right steps. “As a manager we may INTO A POSITION THAN BE TEMPTED TO kLL UP think we are in control,� Buckingham empty positions recklessly.

EXPLAINS gBUT WE RE NOT u “Excellent teams are built around In reality, the people who report to individual excellence. Therefore, the executives have more control. They can MANAGER S kRST RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MAKE ultimately decide on what they will do and sure each person is positioned in the how they will perform. However, organiza- right role,� Buckingham notes.

TIONS CAN BENEkT GREATLY FROM MANAGERS To be true, organizational problems who consider that people perform at their emerge when people are not being set up peak when they are trusted. for success during their promotion. It is Giving the personnel a sense of au- essential for someone to understand what tonomy adds to their motivation to do A NEW ROLE REQUIRES AND THAT THEY kT IN THAT better. Some degree of decision-making role, otherwise, they are unlikely to sucGIVES THEM CONkDENCE AND THE SENSE OF ceed. A key part of that is to look at how a belongingness in the organization, which PERSON S STRENGTHS ALIGN WITH THE NEW ROLE is crucial in instilling in them their responThese thoughts and conclusions are sibility, not only to the institution but also quite daring. But for discerning executives, to the stakeholders of the institution, such these might come in handy. Just rememas their co-workers, the clients, corporate ber: leaders who counter conventional partners, all the way to society in general. practices know that a single leadership Simply, defining the right outcomes STYLE IS NOT A ONE SIZE kTS ALL ANSWER TO and not the right steps means put people questions about management. Effective on the right path then get out of the way. leaders work with each person uniquely: Effective managers focus on developing from their talents, to their strengths, to employee strengths, not spending time THEIR CONkDENCE TO MAKE DECISIONS AND eradicating weaknesses. To note, focusing THEIR PERFECT kT IN THE ORGANIZATION and converting weaknesses to strength waste time and resources.

Jesus Jay Miranda, OP is the secretary “People who focus on their strengths general of the University of Santo Tomas. every day are six times more likely to be He holds a doctorate in Educational engaged in their jobs, more productive and Leadership and Management (ELM) and more likely to say they have an excellent teaches at the Graduate School of UST and quality of life,� Buckingham concludes the ELM Department of the Bro. Andrew from his research. “If you pay the most Gonzalez, FSC–College of Education of De attention to your struggles and ignore La Salle University-Manila. Contact him at your stars (effective personnel), you can jaymiranda.op@ust.edu.ph.

NON SCHOLAE SED VITAE

JESUS JAY MIRANDA, OP

Opinion

A5

Election sins and scenarios M MY SAY

ONDAY was the day Bacolod City witnessed a Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP) rally in that part of the COUNTRY S PREMIER SUGARLAND 4HAT IS AS tradition puts it, since sugar and Negros have been inseparables since the 1700s; BUT THE #OJUANGCO !QUINOS (ACIENDA Luisita in Luzon, with its 6,000-hectare ACREAGE IS REPUTEDLY !SIA S LARGEST JV Ejercito, one among the Hugpong slate, could claim roots in the city, the birthplace of his mom, Mayor Guia Gomez of San Juan. Once asserted by the senator, this fact drew cheers and swoons, which seemed to assure him that if the elections WERE HELD THEN AND THERE *6 COULD kND HIMSELF AMONG THE TOP kNISHERS The rally went ahead as planned, and everything became generic as Hugpong events go. What turned out unusual was the party thrown afterward at the Stonehill Hotel by a group of Bacolod sugar barons who call themselves Kalamay. At least two aspects gave the event an imprimatur of exclusivity. One, not everybody in the Hugpong senatorial slate was invited to the event. Those who were and came were Bong Go and Francis Tolentino. “The Bato� attended, reportedly not because he was invited. It just so happened that perhaps, because the HOTEL S NAME CARRIED HIS STONE LEGEND

he chose to retire there for the night.

As he entered the hotel, he was spotted by the party hosts (among them Negros lawmaker Albee Benitez, this time running for governor), who were rather constrained to ask him to join the party.

Somebody from the media whispered to a companion, “Simula na ng laglagan.� He was referring to a phenomenon in Philippine elections whereby a party JUNKS CERTAIN MEMBERS OF ITS OFkCIAL slate in favor of corresponding others from the opposition. He considered it UNLIKELY THAT THE 0RESIDENT S SENATORIAL protegee would be missed out among the guests in an event that presumably had presidential blessings. “The Tol� (Francis Tolentino), among the perceived frontrunners of the Hugpong slate, was invited, and he came. He blew his top. A streamer put up by the "ACOLOD SUGAR BARONS +ALAMAY GROUP listed its preference for senators (Koko Pimentel, Bong Go, Ronald “Bato� dela Rosa, Nancy Binay, Sonny Angara, Cynthia Villar) — excluding him.

Otherwise an amiable, likable guy, the Tagaytay City executive took it as an affront to his person that he was INVITED TO THE OCCASION BUT WASN T deemed fit for inclusion in the large roster of favored candidates. !S THE MEDIAMAN S ACCOUNT GOES

the Tol minced no words in slamming the sugar barons, “Your trucks heavily laden with sugar daily go over our highways in Tagaytay, ruining them, still we let you. But for that, this is what I get in return. You guys had better learn dealing me worse insult than this. Okay, YOU DON T WANT ME DON T VOTE FOR ME But I am a public servant, and so once I win, you are part of the public that ) M SWORN TO SERVE !ND YOUR TRUCKS CAN GO ON ROLLING DOWN 4AGAYTAY S HIGHWAYS and I will continue repairing the ruins that you daily do. Thank you.� *** There are rosters and there are rosters, but this one beats them all.

On top of a list of narcopoliticians is an incumbent mayor. After hosting a party for the Hugpong senatorial bets, his name suddenly disappears from the list.

Another incumbent mayor is on the list. He is islands apart from the first one. Recently he had a hand-raising duet with a top drug-bust honcho.

Soon after, he is nowhere on the list.

Those are just two incidents that show how the rise in election fever has caused landscapes of government service to be as shifting sands in the political desert. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) suddenly becomes its goodie ole self, its huge potential of revenues reportedly put TO GOOD USE FOR ADVANCING SOMEONE S drive to Slot One in the senatorial race.

As it may be asked in the

MAURO GIA SAMONTE case of the cited narcolists, what does it make of the government anti-drugs campaign, and so what does the sacking of General Alexander F. Balutan as PCSO general manager make of the government anti-corruption campaign?

What can we expect of a senator whose election to that post comes about through drugs and corruptiongenerated funds? *** A gripe of far greater impact was that expressed by Quezon City PDP-Laban Secretary General Edwin Rodriguez. $URING A CHANCE MEETING HE CONkDED TO friends from the media that he has written Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde a letter advocating the placement of Quezon City as an election hotspot. He cited the daylight ambush and killing of Barangay Bagong Silangan Chairman Crisell Beltran and her driver on January 30.

Beltran had earlier filed a certificate of candidacy for councilor of Quezon City, but eventually withdrew that in order to run for congressional repreSENTATIVE OF THE CITY S 3ECOND $ISTRICT This development, observed Rodriguez, was what turned the charismatic barangay (village) official into some kind of a cause cĂŠlèbre among the DISTRICT S CONSTITUENTS “Though two suspects have been arrested for the double-murder, no masTERMIND HAS BEEN IDENTIkED u 2ODRIGUEZ said. “Declaring Quezon City as an election hotspot will assure its constituents that there will be peaceful and orderly elections in May 2019. There is raw information that hoodlums are planning to intimidate voters in Quezon City.â€?

Rodriguez disclosed that he and Congressman Bingbong Crisologo, PDP-Laban Quezon City president and THE PARTY S CANDIDATE FOR 1UEZON #ITY mayor, have already formally petitioned the Comelec for the substitution of the slain congressional bet by her daughter Maria Cristina Winsell Beltran.

Election deaths, election triumphs Death for triumph is a distinct phenomenon seemingly endemic in Philippine elections.

The first such occasion I remember was the substitution by Magnolia Antonino as candidate for senator for her husband Sen. Gaudencio Antonino, who died on the eve of the 1967 elections. Magnolia won overwhelmingly.

Vice President Leni Robredo should largely owe her victory in the 2013 congressional polls in Camarines Sur to the death of her husband, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, who perished in a Piper Seneca crash off Masbate in August 2012.

But certainly a classic is the sudden rise of Cory Aquino to the presidency over what could amount to a case of EUTHANASIA INlICTED UPON FORMER 3ENATOR Benigno Aquino, Jr., who was killed at the tarmac of Manila International AirPORT THAT !UG !ND #ORY S DEATH itself propelled Benigno Aquino 3rd to that same post in the 2010 elections.

For the daughter of the slain Beltran, being QC Second District representative after the May elections could be a foregone triumph.

But while on the topic, I also recall the case of the ambush and slaying of Richard Santillan in December last year. He was no candidate for any post certainly, hence could not be substituted for as an insurance for victory at the POLLS "UT HE WAS THE DRIVER CONkDANTE of another cause cÊlèbre, Glen Chong, who blew the whistle on the alleged Smartmatic cheat to facilitate Vice PresiDENT 2OBREDO S WIN IN THE ELECTION And Chong is running for senator. ,ET S SEE HOW THE DEATH MAGIC WORKS in this case.

Q SALUDO FROM A4

If we want to be good, we need goodness graces Eucharistic adoration are instances when people were drawn to the Lord by his Body and Blood, even if the CONVERTS DIDN T BELIEVE IN HIS 2EAL Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

One man had stopped going to Mass for 26 years, though he would pick up his devout wife at the adoration chapel. One

evening he had an appointment and went into the chapel to hurry up his wife.

When she got into the car, her husband said he would skip his appointment. “I am going to the priest in the Parochial house and will ask him to hear my confession,� he said. “Something came

over me as I entered that adoration chapel, and I felt God calling me back again.� He has since attended Mass every day.

The mercy of conversion Plainly, God will make one holy if one turns to him in faith, hope and

love, no matter how low one may have fallen. What may make many a believer not to bother to seek grace for change is, ironically, the #HURCH S CURRENT STRESS ON 'OD S boundless mercy.

If God will forgive all sins, even heinous ones, why must we mend our ways? Many then think that

saying sorry without changing oneself is enough to enter heaven.

In fact, as the Gospels show, mercy must lead to change. After forgiving the woman he saved from stoning, Jesus told her: “Go and sin no more.� And in the paramount PARABLE OF 'OD S MERCY THE PRODIGAL son set aside his proud, extravagant

ways in seeking forgiveness.

Remember that salvation means being with God for eternity, and for that to happen, humanity must be made perfect and holy, for divinity cannot accept anything less. )N 'OD S MERCY WE SEEK FORGIVEness and new creation, in this life and the next. Amen.

A6

Opinion

The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY March 31, 2019

Fear of success is courting failure

T

HEIR observation may be valid at some point. We are just at the doorstep into the friendship and a lot of “reverse polarity� magnetism seems to be repelling us from getting in. It is easy to spot the long shadow behind this. Sam to some, and Uncle to all. *** Being a member of the Board of Boao Forum and also as a former president of the Philippines, Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is right in her observation and here is what she said: “China is a partner, not a threat. China through the years has proven wrong the negative notions of its policies toward reform and opening up as it has become a partner in development. g4HE 0HILIPPINES IS BENEkTING from China’s transformation because it has become the Philippines’ number one trading part-

more in the Philippines. This must be a win-win solution for the developing world.� *** So much has been said about a “principled democracy.� The way NER 7E HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BENEkT I understand it is that all citizens a lot by selling goods to China. are equal, with equal rights and, Agricultural products, for in- of course, the responsibilities stance — if you eat a banana, it’s entailed by those rights. The probably from the Philippines. organization or structure should “As a donor, China has been be run with impartiality, and the a major source of assistance to rules are applied fairly to all and some of the Philippines’ major not only to a selected few. projects. Like for instance, China ! MEDIA OUTkT LIKE 2APPLER AND has built bridges in the Philip- its leadership should know that pines. It is building a dam for the “journalist principle� rests a water system and irrigation, upon the premise that there is and it will be building a major no favored group that will get railroad. Not just one but two preferential treatment under the major railroads. China has also law. Yes, every media outfit is been a major market for Filipino- guaranteed the freedom to speak Chinese businesses as they have or vote on ideas, but these rights been investing in China. China have limitations — the freedom is also now investing more and entails openness and not secrecy

MIRRORLESS

ROLLY G. REYES

FOCUS

Hong Kong’s China extradition plan sparks alarm HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s plans to approve extraditions to the mainland have sparked alarm within the city’s business and legal communities who fear it will hammer THE kNANCIAL HUB S INTERNATIONAL appeal and tangle people up in China’s opaque courts.

The proposal, which will be debated in Hong Kong’s legislature on Wednesday, would allow the transfer of fugitives with Taiwan, Macau and mainland China on a gCASE BASISu FOR THE kRST TIME But it comes at a time of roiling distrust over how Beijing wields its authoritarian legal system — and as two Canadian nationals languish in Chinese custody following the arrest of a top Huawei executive in Vancouver.

Critics fear any extradition agreement could leave both business figures and dissidents in Hong Kong vulnerable to China’s politicised courts, fatally undermining a business hub that has thrived off its reputation for a transparent and independent judiciary. “At that point Hong Kong is just really a part of China,� an American partner at an asset management company told AFP, commenting on how the business community would feel if the law is passed. g0EOPLE MIGHT STILL BE kNE TO COME FOR THREE YEARS kVE YEARS

but are you going to really put down roots here if you have real or implied political risk? I think probably not,� she added.

The sudden plan to overhaul Hong Kong’s extradition agreement began with good intentions. )T WAS SPARKED BY A HIGH PROkLE murder in Taiwan where a Hong Kong man allegedly strangled his pregnant girlfriend during a HOLIDAY TRIP AND THEN lED 4HAT CASE GENERATED SIGNIkCANT sympathy and frustration that Hong Kong was unable to extradite the suspect to Taiwan.

But the government’s surprise decision to include mainland China in the overhaul has led to a groundswell of opposition and suspicion pro-Beijing local authorities are taking advantage of the Taiwan murder.

One country, two judicial systems Historically Hong Kong has balked at extraditing to the mainland because of the opacity of China’s criminal justice system, and the death penalty — which has been abolished in Hong Kong.

Observers say the courts are controlled by the Communist Party and are frequently used to silence critics or wielded by powerful people to settle personal and business scores.

Those who wind up in the courts have little chance of acquittal — according to China’s own national judicial statistics there was a 99.9 percent conviction rate for criminal charges.

Under the 50-year handover agreement signed between Britain and China in 1997, the city

retains its independent judicial system, allowing it to become a major regional contract law hub rivalled only by Singapore.

But fears have risen that China is chipping away at that judicial independence.

Three years ago a group of booksellers who published gosSIP kLLED TOMES ON #HINA S LEADers vanished, later appearing in Chinese custody.

In 2017 a billionaire businessman, Xiao Jianhua, also disapPEARED FROM A kVE STAR HOTEL AND into mainland custody.

And when a new high-speed rail link opened in Hong Kong last year, authorities announced Chinese mainland law would apply inside key sections of the station.

Partial climbdown Criticism of the plans has come from a broad cross section of Hong Kong, not just political critics of China. The city’s powerful bar association, the American Chamber of Commerce, even pro-Beijing lawmakers, have all spoken out. “A business environment needs a very clear legal system.

If you have a regulation reversing that and making the legal system less clear... it will absolutely have a huge impact on Hong Kong’s economic development and business activities,� said Felix Chung, a pro-Beijing legislator.

In an illustration of unintended consequences Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council warned it may issue travel warnings if the extradition agreement included China.

Faced with a growing chorus of opposition Hong Kong’s government backtracked on Tuesday, exempting nine primarily economic crimes from the list of offences that could be covered by the new extradition law.

Hong Kong’s Security Bureau has also said prosecutions based on “race, religion, nationality or political opinions� would be refused.

But whether that will mollify enough lawmakers remains to be seen — especially given Hong Kong’s own crackdown on political freedoms and its pursuit of those deemed to be promoting independence or autonomy.

In a statement released after the government’s backdown, the American Chamber of Commerce said it still had “serious concerns about the revised proposals.� “We strongly believe that the proposed arrangements will reduce the appeal of Hong Kong to international companies considering Hong Kong as a base for regional operations,� the statement read.

For the American partner at THE ASSET MANAGEMENT kRM SHE says international businesses will inevitably think more carefully about the direction in which Hong Kong is headed. “I don’t think it changes my ability to stay here now,� she said. “But it doesn’t make me real excited about my kids staying here.� AFP

as every citizen has to right to know what is going on within those organizations. Thus, the state has the right to pursue cases of violations of any form and uphold justice for any victim.

In a democracy, a person accused of a crime has the right to know the charges against him, to remain silent, to have legal representation, to participate in his defense, and to question witnesses for the prosecution. So, what’s the big fuss when you have all these? *** Critics we all are, but that doesn’t mean we love our country less.

With all its imperfections, for us, we love and care for it so much and take much pride defending it from external critics as well. We may never have the tallest building in the world, but we have stood tall, and are ever resilient overcoming THE MOST DIFkCULT TIMES

I won’t trade our carenderia, balut AND kSH BALL VENDORS FOR the most awarded Parisian chefs.

The air we breathe is musical as it waltzes with the blue waves and bamboo trunks. The smiles we see around light up our island pearls from sunset till dawn.

We may be poor, but we are rich in spirit as we toil hard without giving up. We take pride in our national hero who spoke 22 languages, professing our ability to coexist with anyone in the world. We send our children to school even if we can’t make both ends meet.

We hug our grandchildren as tight as we hug our grandparents.

Care for family is unlimited, sky high and bottomless. We love our country so much and we take pride feeling such. We criticize, WE PRAISE WE GET ANGRY WE kGHT

we sympathize, but we continue to have faith as one because we

all want to be better, we all want to be worthy of the name — that of being called a Filipino. *** I wish there is a law that requires all candidates to clean up their campaign materials after elections. It’s about time we considered longer voting hours (up to midnight) or a second day voting for seniors and PWDs alone, and also for their sake, our polling centers should have hugelettered and readable voters’ lists.

This will also compensate for the time spent locating their designated precincts. I believe we should think of ways and means to make it easier for our citizens to exercise their rights and let their voices heard within a sufkCIENT TIME FRAME *** Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.

Japan’s gender gap A MORE PRESSING ISSUE THAN kXING the overrepresentation of women CHICAGO, Illinois: Japan is not mak- in nonregular employment.

A major cause of gender wage ing progress in gender equality, at least relative to the rest of the disparity among regular employees world. Despite the Japanese gov- in Japan is the dearth of female manernment’s attempts in recent years agers. According to the 2016 Basic to pass legislation promoting Survey on Equality of Employment the economic activity of women, Opportunity by the Ministry of Japan ranked a miserable 110 out Health, Labor and Welfare, women of 149 in the World Economic hold 6.4 percent of the positions Forum’s 2018 Gender Gap Index, of department director or equivawhich benchmarks countries on lent; 8.9 percent of section head their progress toward gender par- or equivalent; and 14.7 percent of task-unit supervisor or equivalent. ity across four major areas.

This same survey also asked While this rank is a slight improvement over 114 out of 146 in employers with very few female 2017, it remains the same or lower managers for the possible causes of than in the preceding years (111 in the paucity of women in the higher ranks. The two major reasons 2016 and 101 in 2015).

Among the primary reasons IDENTIkED AMONG MANY PRESPECIfor Japan’s low ranking is its large kED POSSIBLE REASONS WERE gAT THE gender wage gap. At 24.5 percent moment, there are no women who in 2018, the gender wage gap is the have the necessary knowledge, exsecond largest among Organization perience, or judgment capability� for Economic Cooperation and and “women retire before attainDevelopment (OECD) nations, ing managerial positions due to their short years of service.� Such surpassed only by South Korea.

Why is this gap so large in Japan? perceptions held by employers are A major cause is the large number misguided, as my own research of women who are “nonregular� (Yamaguchi 2016) reveals a very workers. “Regular� workers in Japan different picture.

I conducted an analysis of ARE EMPLOYED ON INDEkNITE TERMS without specific job obligations firms with 100 or more emAND ARE STRONGLY PROTECTED FROM kR- ployees and found that only 21 ings and layoffs, while non-regular percent of the gender disparity workers — including many fulltime among regular workers in middle EMPLOYEES ‡ HAVE kXED TERM CON- management (section heads) and TRACTS WITH SPECIkC JOB OBLIGATIONS above could be explained by genJust over 53 percent of em- der differences in education and ployed women ages 20 to 65 fall employment experience.

The rest of the disparity arose into the nonregular category, compared with just 14.1 percent from gender differences in the rate of promotion to manageof employed men in 2014.

As is true elsewhere, Japan’s rial positions among employees non-regular employees have with the same levels of educanearly uniformly low wages, ir- tion and experience. The limrespective of age and gender. For ited employment duration of regular employees, on the other women was not a major factor.

My analysis further showed hand, wages increase with age until the employee reaches ap- that being male increased the odds of becoming a manager proximately 50 years old.

This is because in a large majority more than tenfold, whereas being OF *APANESE kRMS REGULAR EMPLOYEES a college graduate made it only receive wage premiums based on 1.65 times more likely. (The study years of service. The gender dispar- controlled for other determinants ity in the proportion of nonregular for becoming a manager.)

We regard societies where soemployees is perpetuated by the employers’ perception that new gradu- cial opportunities and rewards ates are more desirable candidates are determined primarily by individual achievements as “modfor regular employment.

Because employers tend to pri- ern� and societies where they are oritize the hiring of these younger determined by an ascribed status job seekers for regular employ- as “pre-modern.�

Although “post-modernism� ment, women who leave their jobs for childrearing and attempt to re- has been discussed in Japan, enter the job market at a later date contemporary Japanese society have very limited opportunities for maintains characteristics that cannot even be considered “modregular employment.

However, my analysis of the gen- ern.� Gender at birth is what der wage gap by a combination of determines whether a person employment types (four categories becomes a manager in Japan, not distinguishing regular versus non- individual achievement such as regular employment and full-time earning a college degree.

Gender-segregated career tracks versus part-time work) and age CATEGORIES kNDS THAT GENDER DIF- are largely to blame for the counferences in employment type — try’s gender inequality in the rate of SPECIkCALLY THE LARGER PROPORTION promotion to managerial positions. of women than men employed in In Japan, there is a managerial career non-regular positions — explain track (sogo shoku) and a dead-end only 36 percent of the gender wage clerical track (ippan shoku).

This track system is strongly assogap (Yamaguchi 2011).

In fact, the primary factor is ac- ciated with gender. Many women do tually the gender wage gap within not pursue sogo shoku jobs despite full-time regular employment, their greater opportunity for career which accounts for more than half development because they require of the overall gender wage gap. The regular overtime hours.

Indeed, among women, the maelimination of the gender wage gap among regular workers is therefore jor correlate of becoming a manBYÂ KAZUO YAMAGUCHI

ager is the presence of long work hours, indicating that women who do not work long overtime hours are deprived of opportunities to become managers.

However, extended work hours for women are incompatible with Japanese family roles after marriage due to the strong persistence of traditional division of labor in which the burden of childcare and household tasks is CHIElY BORNE BY WOMEN !S A RESULT *APANESE kRMS INsistence on long work hours is an inherent source of gender inequality, especially for the attainment of managerial positions.

Another major cause of the gender wage gap is the high degree of gender segregation in professions.

In OECD countries, women tend to be overrepresented in the human services professions, such as education, healthcare, and social work. In Japan, two additional characteristics exist.

First, even among human service professions, women are underrepresented in the high-status professions — for example, the proportion of women among physicians and college educators in Japan is the lowest among OECD nations.

Second, women are seriously underrepresented in nonhuman-service professions — such as research, engineering, law, and accounting.

My latest research takes a close look at the gender wage gap among professionals, focusing on the Japanese and US labor markets.

Drawing on a 2005 nationwide survey for Japan and the 2010 US Population Census, I looked at gender proportions in the two categories of careers described above: the human services professions, excluding high-status professions, such as physicians and college educators, which I chose to call Type-II professions, and other professions, including high-status human service professions and all nonhuman-service professions, which I called Type-I professions.

The research showed that in Japan, the proportion of women in the latter category is remarkably low: in the United States, 12.7 percent of female employees are in Type-I professions, compared with fewer than 2 percent of Japanese female employees. Women’s jobs in Japan are clearly concentrated in Type-II professions.

This division of professions leads to a large gender wage gap for two reasons. First, while gender wage disparity in Type-I professions is very small, women are severely underrepresented in these professions.

Second, there are large gender wage disparities within Type-II professions. Whereas the average wage for males in Type-II professions is higher than the wages of male clerical, sales, or manual workers, the average wage for females in Type-II professions is not only lower than the average wage for males in the same type of work, but it is also lower than the average wage of male clerical, sales, and manual workers.

My research also shows that the smaller proportion of women in management and Type-I professions cannot be explained by

gender differences in educational background, including college majors (Yamaguchi, forthcoming).

Japan and Turkey are the only two countries in the OECD where college graduation rates of women are still lower than those of men, and therefore, we may expect that gender equalization would reduce gender inequality in the attainment of high-status occupations.

My analysis reveals, however, that IF CURRENT GENDER SPECIkC MATCHING of education and occupation continues as the college graduation rate of WOMEN INCREASES IT WILL BE RElECTED mostly by the increase of women in already female-overrepresented Type-II professions.

The increase of women in female-underrepresented managerial and Type-I professions, on the other hand, will be minimal.

Hence, on average, achieving gender equality in educational attainment will not greatly reduce the gender wage gap.

The only exception to this rule would lie in the equalization in the proportion of college graduates majoring in science and engineering. This would increase the share of female scientists and engineers, thus reducing gender disparity in the proportion of Type-I professions and thereby narrowing the gender wage gap to some extent.

The fact that educational background does not explain gender segregation among professions in Japan suggests that the segreGATION IS A RElECTION OF *APANESE hiring practices. As a result of practices rooted in gender stereotypes, women lack the opportunity to go into professions other than those deemed suitable for women.

The main careers open to Japanese women are extensions of women’s traditional family roles, such as children’s education, nursing and other supportive roles in healthcare.

Employers in Japan ought to acknowledge that the workplace is not an extension of gender divisions at home, but rather a PLACE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO FULkLL THEIR potential and contribute to society.

But such an acknowledgment, for the most part, remains to be seen.

Although the government aims to pay equal wages for equal jobs — especially for regular and irregular workers with the same job — I believe that providing equal occupational opportunity, especially for managerial and high-status professional positions, is more critical for the reduction of the gender wage gap in Japan.

Moreover, since the lack of opportunity for women persists not only because of hiring practices but also because of the long work hours required, the government should aim to create the conditions for better work-life balance. It could do so by changing the work culture that relies on long work hours and

BY PROMOTING lEXIBLE WORKPLACES It could also encourage a change in the attitude that assumes child-care and home-care responsibilities are IPS only for women.

Kazuo Yamaguchi is the Ralph Lewis Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago.

The ËœSunday Times

Regions Gong banging marks new Bangsamoro beginning

w w w.manilatimes.net

Improve polls deployment, CAR-PNP told LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET: With one police officer for every 227 people, the Cordillera Region could even be safer than Switzerland.

There is a problem of properly deploying poLICE OFkCERS IN STRATEGIC AREAS THERE HOWEVER THAT election-related violence could not be prevented, making Abra one of the election hotspots in the region, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde said on Friday.

(E TOLD OFkCIALS AND PERSONNEL OF 0OLICE 2EGIONAL /FkCE #ORDILLERA !DMINISTRATIVE 2EGION 02/ #!2 that with the 6,431-strong force, they should redeploy and distribute personnel to places that are in need of more police personnel like Abra.

Based on PRO-CAR’s presentation to Albayalde, 380 POLICE OFkCERS WERE DEPLOYED FOR THE ELECTIONS “With those numbers, this should have been the safest place on Earth...You just have to redeploy them and distribute,� he said. “Abra is lacking 400 personnel and we have to redeploy or concentrate a few of the personnel there because the entire province is placed under Red category,� Albayalde added.

Prior to the command conference, Albayalde made rounds of Northern Luzon provinces, particularly Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Abra.

He noted that the police forces in the Ilocos provinces were ready for the elections, but raised concern over Abra’s preparations. “Our concern is Abra because there is a heated rivalry of parties there and there are allegations of private armed groups in the area, and that is the reason why the Comelec (Commission on Elections) put the province under Red category,�

Albayalde said.

There are two private armed groups with 17 members currently operating in CAR, according to a report during the conference. Seven of its members have already surrendered to the authorities.

Albayalde expressed hope that Abra, which had been declared as election hotspots for years, would be removed from the list in the next elections with better police action and cooperation from the people. “We made the opposing parties meet and promise to cooperate with us. Hopefully, we will have zero incidents in that province and that would be a good start,� he said.

Police authorities in Abra have already recovERED MORE THAN kREARMS SINCE THE IMPLEMENtation of the Comelec gun ban on January 13.

3OME POLICE OFkCERS IN #!2 ARE EXPECTED to guard and monitor 1,368 polling centers, while the Armed Forces of the Philippines would also deploy 1,500 soldiers as counterparts.

ROY D. R. NARRA

Nationinbriefs 19 NPA REBELS SURRENDER ON REDS’ ANNIVERSARY  SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao: Some 19 members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) voluntarily surrendered to government authorities during its founding anniversary in their desire to live normal and productive lives, Lt. Col. Elmer Boongaling, 33rd Infantry Battalion (33IB) commander, said on Saturday. The rebels yielded to the combined efforts of the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Police Office and the Philippine Army’s 33IB, 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division (6ID) and 39th Infantry Battalion of the 10th Infantry (Aguila) Division. They turned over 13 high powered firearms, explosives and various ammunition. The surrenderers are from the various Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA fronts operating in Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato provinces. “The surrender of these communist rebels shows that the localized peace negotiation led by the provincial government of Sultan Kudarat was very effective,� said Maj. Gen. Carlito Sobejana, commander of the 6ID. The surrenderers will receive livelihood assistance, payment for the surrendered firearms as well as housing through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program under the supervision of Sultan Kudarat Province.

JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL

ARMY EXTENDS MEDICAL CARE TO ARRESTED NDF CONSULTANT CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal: National Democratic Front consultant and former Catholic priest Francisco Fernandez and his wife, Cleofe Lagtapon, were given appropriate medical treatment at the Army General Hospital (AGH) after his arrest on Sunday. Fernandez and his wife were arrested by personnel of the Laguna Provincial Police for murder and violation of Republic Act 10591 or the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act� after several pistols and grenades were found in his residence in Liliw, Laguna. Brig Gen Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, said Fernandez was the secretary of the New People’s Army Komiteng Rehiyonal-Negros and had four standing arrest warrants for murder. After the arrest, the couple was initially brought to the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Alabang, Muntinlupa to undergo physical examination when Fernandez complained of chest pains. They were then transported to AGH upon the request of Police Brig. Gen. Edward Carranza, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) regional director, for security after receiving report that their comrades would attempt to take them for police custody. ROSELLE R. AQUINO

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

BY JULMUNIR JANNARAL AND MASIDING NOOR YAHYA

C

OTABATO CITY: Chief Minister Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said the banging of the agung (gong) marks the new beginning of the Bangsamoro.

Before delivering his 10-minu t e s p e e c h , P r e s i d e n t Ro d r i g o Duterte banged the gong that signaled the historic inauguration of BARMM at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Center in this city on Friday. “Today marks a new history for us, we are starting a new kind of jihad, a jihad against poverty, against want and against neglect,� Ebrahim said.

Delivering one of his shortest public speeches, the President vowed to work FOR THE BENEkT OF THE -OROS IN THE COUNtry up to his last day in MalacaĂąang or when his terms ends in 2022.

The President also reiterated his vow to the Bangsamoro people and to Allah, to correct the social injustice to the Moros. “Let me repeat and reiterate my solemn promise to you, a sacred

one, that in my term and for the next three years we will all work and truly work for the benefit of the Bangsamoro people,� the President told BARMM officials, led by Ebrahim and members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

Duterte repeatedly said he was happy for the success of the new political entity in Mindanao, seeing the success of the BARMM as one of his greatest birthday gifts. “To my dear Bangsamoro sisters and brothers, in the BTA, the power to chart the course of your region’s future is now in your hands,� the President said. “I trust that you will wield this power with utmost care.� “As we enter the transition period I ask everyone to work towards building

lasting peace and inclusive progress that WILL BENEkT THE ENTIRE -INDANAO AND THE country as well,� he added.

The BARMM is the result of the decades-long peace negotiation between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

It will run the affairs of the now defunct the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao until the new set of OFkCIALS SHALL HAVE BEEN ELECTED IN Meanwhile, Duterte expressed his gratitude to the MILF, the Moro National Liberation Front, the Commission on Elections, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and the local government units of the provinces and cities and municipalities that participated in the plebiscite.

He also thanked the hard working teachers, canvassers and voters “who courageously played their respective roles in this electoral exercise and our nation owes them dearly.�

The President was accompanied at the BARMM inauguration by Interior Secretary Eduardo AĂąo, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel PiĂąol and Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez.

A7

Ebrahim told the President that the MILF already submitted on March 25 the complete list of combatants and weapons to the international decomMISSIONING BODY FOR THE kRST PHASE OF the process.

Oath of moral governance  In the presence of Duterte, Ebrahim LED "ANGSAMORO OFkCIALS IN TAKING AN “oath of moral governance,� before the Qur’an, the Islamic holy book, promising to reject corruption and promote inclusive empowerment in the new region. “We started the jihad with an oath before the Qur’an and we will also take an oath before the Qur’an as we start our governance,� he said. “There were ups and down in the past 22 years but here we are today together with the President of our country inaugurating the product of what we have been working on long before the peace talks started 22 years ago,�

Ebrahim said.

WITH A REPORT FROM CATHERINE S. VALENTE

PNP officers awarded for fighting Reds in Mountain Province, Samar LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET: Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde on Saturday pinned a medal award to a wounded police officer for fighting a group of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Bauko, Mountain Province, while 15 0.0 OFkCERS FROM .ORTHERN 3AMAR WILL BE given recognition on Monday.

Albayalde visited Police Corporal Eirphil Lapniten in Benguet General Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment to confer him the Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting.

The 1502nd Mobile Company of the Regional Mobile Force-15, to which Lapniten belongs, fought against some 20 communist rebels in Barangay Bagnen Proper on Friday.

The encounter, which lasted for about 15 minutes, happened while Albayalde was attending a command conference in Camp Dangwa, La Trinidad in Benguet for the upcoming midterm elections.

4HE OTHER WOUNDED POLICE OFkCER 0ATROLman Pat Wilfredo Padawil, was declared dead on arrival at the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital from multiple gunshot wounds during the encounter.

Lapniten was teary-eyed upon receiving the medal and cash assistance from !LBAYALDE S OFkCE AND THE /FkCE OF THE President. He told Albayalde that he was wounded on the left side of his neck from an alleged sniper.

Albayalde also expressed his condolences

to Padawil’s family for their loss. “The whole PNP forwards their condolences and we know that this police OFkCER IS A HERO (E SACRIkCED HIS LIFE for the freedom and for the people,�

Albayalde said.

Hewas set to visit Paddawil’s in Sagada, Mountain Province.

Meanwhile, Albayalde earlier anNOUNCED THAT THE POLICE OFkCERS OF Victoria Municipal Police Station led by Police Lt. Eladio Alo would be awarded this Monday at the flag ceremony in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

The Victoria Municipal Police Station in Northern Samar was attacked by about 50 NPA rebels on March 28.

4HE kREkGHT LED TO THE DEATH OF TWO REBELS and the arrest of one of them.

4WO OF THE OFkCERS 0OLICE -ASTER 3GTS Arturo Gordo Jr. and Arnold Cabacang, will receive the Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting.

They were wounded during the three-hour kREkGHT AGAINST ABOUT .0! REBELS !LBAYALDE SAID THE 6ICTORIA kREkGHT was “one of the best success stories in the history of the PNP.�

Police Col. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesman, told reporters in a text message that they were still evaluating who will receive a promotion after the incident, saying it would be based on their purpose and perFORMANCE DURING THE ACTUAL kREkGHT ROY D.R. NARRA

Q Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde pins the Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting to Police Corporal Eirphil Lapniten who was confined at Benguet General Hospital after he was wounded in an encounter with a group of New People’s Army rebels in Bauko, Mountain Province. PHOTO BY ROY D.R. NARRA

Court acquits ex-Samar gov of graft, malversation THE Sandiganbayan’s First Division has acquitted former Samar governor and now Samar 2nd District Rep. Milagrosa Tan of graft and of malversation in connection with the purchase of P69.04 million worth of drugs, medicines and dental supplies in 2007.

In a 67-page decision promulgated on Friday, the court acquitted Tan and Roselyn Larce, who was thenproprietor of Zybermed Medi Pharma, of three counts of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. “There is no evidence that the drugs and medicines purchased were overvalued nor was there any showing of the accepted, appropriate or standard prices for the items,� the decision said in part.

The court also found no evidence that the target BENEkCIARIES WERE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE THE PURCHASED

items, and there was no evidence showing that the purchase caused injury or loss to the government.

While it respected the Commission on Audit’s (CoA) kNDINGS THAT THE PURCHASES WERE CONSIDERED gUNNECESsary expenditures,� the court said in part that, “[j]ust because the purchases are considered by the CoA to be unnecessary does not necessarily mean that it is openly and shockingly disadvantageous to the government.�

The court also acquitted Tan, former provincial treasurer Bienvenido Sabenecio Jr., provincial accountant Francisco Detosil, Ariel Yboa who was THEN OFkCER IN CHARGE OF THE 0ROVINCIAL 'ENERAL 3ERVICE /FkCE THEN !DMINISTRATIVE /FkCER 2OLANDO -ONTEJO THEN 3UPPLY /FkCER 'EORGE !BRINA AND ,ARCE OF kVE COUNTS OF VIOLATION OF 3ECTION E OF

THE ANTI GRAFT LAW AS WELL AS kVE COUNTS OF MALVERSATION It said that there was no legal presumption of misAPPROPRIATION IN THE kRST PLACE EXPLAINING THAT 4AN and Sabenecio “were not made to explain or account for a cash shortage by any liquidation or supporting documents since there was no adequate proof of cash shortage at all.�

The court likewise ordered the Bureau of Immigration to remove their names from the hold departure list and release the bail posted.

Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg penned the decision which was concurred in by Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz, who leads the First Division, and Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona.

REINA C. TOLENTINO

GRAND WELCOME  Ilonggos gave former special assistant to the President and Senate aspirant Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go a grand welcome when he visited Iloilo City on March 26. They lined every street on the route of Go’s motorcade and cheered wildly as he promised his supporters to continue President Rodrigo Duterte’s brand of public service. He also assured them of his legislative agenda to prioritize the improvement of the delivery of basic health services, institutionalization of the Malasakit Center and the establishment of a Department of overseas Filipino workers. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

News Bautista raises Belmonte’s Abby Binay: ‘Look at record, not last names’ hand for mayor of QC Q A8

˜ The Manila Times

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

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S I B L I N G R I V A L R Y I N M A K AT I

BY JAIME R. PILAPILÂ

UEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista PUBLICLY ENDORSED 6ICE -AYOR *OSEkNA “Joy� Belmonte as his successor on Friday.

Bautista surprised everybody when he graced the proclamation rally of Serbisyo sa Bayan Party (SBP) on Friday. “I was not at the Mass earlier, but I always pray for our next mayor,�

he told hundreds of supporters, including the Belmonte patriarch, former speaker Feliciano “Sonny�

Belmonte who also attended the rally.

Belmonte had been vocal that she and Bautista had not been in

on speaking terms.

Bautista, who as mayor teamed up with the younger Belmonte for three terms in the city government, EXPRESSED HIS CONkDENCE THAT THE mayoral candidate would take after her father and build upon his legacy of good governance in the City.

In her speech, the aspiring mayor emphasized that her proposed programs would tackle the biggest problems facing the city’s residents, including poverty, lack

of jobs, proper housing for informal settlers, access to basic social services, medical care, and security.

She also mentioned that initiatives for increased access to education started during her term as vice mayor and would be strengthened through scholarships and other programs.

Belmonte pledged to ensure that all health centers would have complete medicines, improved facilities and caring staff.

MAKATI Mayor Mar-Len Abigail “Abby�

Binay on Friday admitted that her rivalry with brother former mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun� Binay Jr. would create a broad division of voters in the city. “[It is] understandable that the votes will be divided. It will be hard for people to choose,� Abby said at the sidelines of her slate’s proclamation rally on Friday.

Abby asked voters not to look at their last names and consider instead their track record. “Let’s forget our surname, that we are both Binays. Let’s look at what he’s been able to do and what I have been able to do,� she said.

Junjun was not expected to throw his hat in the Makati mayoral race pending a case before the Sandiganbayan over irregularities on the construction of the P1.3-billion Makati Science High School building and P2.2-billion Makati City Hall building 2 project.

The former Makati mayor, however, saw a possible upturn on his bid a week before the local campaign period as the Court of Appeals upheld its decision to reverse his dismissal as Makati mayor in 2015 in connection with the charges.

Ex-VP skips Junjun’s rally

*UNJUN SKIPPED THE kRST DAY OF THE campaign period and chose instead

TOGETHER AGAIN

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista attends the proclamation rally of Serbisyo sa Bayan Party on Friday, and endorses his vice mayor Josefina ‘Joy’ Belmonte as his successor. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Q DEFENSE FROM A1

‘Stop 1 upon her arrival from the United States on Friday. She is accused of violating the constitutional requirement for mass media to be 100-percent Filipino owned.

The Rappler chief had described

her arrest as “harassment� and “travesty of justice.�But Panelo dismissed Ressa’s claim, insisting that the latter was given temporary liberty after posting a P90,000 bail.

A ‘walking testament’ to press freedom He also reiterated the Executive Branch respected the indepen-

dence of the judiciary, including how it handles cases pending before its courts. “The very fact that she posted and granted bail for her temporary liberty demonstrates that the constitutional presumption of innocence has been observed.

Her continued and unimpeded attack on the Duterte Administration as allegedly being

behind her prosecution makes her a walking testament of the robust exercise of the freedom of the press and of expression in the land,� Panelo said. “She cannot be using her arrest as a violation of the freedom of the press and make it as an excuse to attack the government. She wants a special treatment owing to her being a journalist. She wants her profession to shield her from accountability of a wrongdoing that she could be guilty of,� he added.

Panelo also insisted that due process was observed in Ressa’s case, and that she would not be treated differently. “The circumstance that a warrant of arrest was issued against her after the presiding judge determined the existence of a probable cause following the process outlined by the Constitution shows that the rule of law was followed,� Panelo said. “All is equal before the law. It is no respecter of any social and political status. The law does not discriminate.

Everyone subject of an arrest warrant must be given equal treatment as to its service,� he added.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) deplored the arrest of Ressa, which came just over a month after she was arrested on libel charges. “The government-led attack on Rappler and Maria Ressa is a blatant

to hold a proclamation rally on Saturday evening.

His father, long-time mayor and former vice president Jejomar Binay Sr., showed up at his sister Abby’s rally on Friday. The Binay patriarch was conspicuously absent at Junjun’s proclamation.

Binay Sr. is running for congressMAN IN -AKATI S kRST DISTRICT UNDER HIS daughter Abby’s ticket dubbed “Team Performance.� At Saturday’s rally, it was announced that the former vice president would also be in Junjun’s ticket.

Junjun’s sister Ann told supporters: “To those looking for my father at this proclamation rally: You don’t have to.

We already have Sen. Nancy Binay and myself.�

Nancy, who is running again for senator, is the oldest of the Binay siblings.

Abby said she feared that the discord between her and Junjun would last years. “This election ends, there will be a winner and a loser, but I fear our family will not be mended. My problems will not end on election day. That’s a more DIFkCULT THING FOR ME u SHE SAID Binay Sr. said the only thing he could do was to pray hard enough that the rift in the family would be resolved. “I would be lying if I said our family is not affected. It would be abnormal if it didn’t,� he said on Friday.

NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS

Q Makati Mayor MarLen Abigail ‘Abby’ Binay speaks to reporters ahead of her campaign rally on Friday.

attempt to silence critical voices and control the government narrative in the Philippines,� the IFJ said in a statement. “The government of the Philippines cannot simply use to law to restrict the media and press freedom. Journalists across the Philippines will continue to fight this interference and will not be silenced,� it added.

The NUJP, meanwhile, pointed out the suspicious timing of the case to “make sure Maria would be welcomed home by an arresting team as soon as she stepped off her flight from abroad.� “This intolerant and vindictive GOVERNMENT S HAM kSTED EFFORTS TO HUMILIATE 2APPLER AND ITS OFkCERS and personnel have succeeded only in humiliating itself in the eyes of the world and everyone who values freedom and democracy,� it said in a statement.

‘Judicial harassment’ Ressa is facing at least nine other charges, including libel and multiple counts of tax evasion.

Last month, she was arrested in Rappler’s headquarters in Pasig City over cyberlibel charges. She was released the following day after posting bail.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described the string of cases and complaints against Rappler as judicial harassment. “The judicial harassment of Rappler by various government agencies is bordering on the absurd...In all, the website and its journalists are currently the targets of proceedings in at least 11 cases, each as spurious as the other,� said Daniel Bastard, the HEAD OF 23& S !SIA 0ACIkC DESK “Against the government’s manipulation of the judicial system with the aim of silencing troublesome media outlets, Rappler stands as pillar of democracy to be defended at all cost,� he added.

Akbayan party-list group asserted that the cases and complaints showed that the law was being weaponized for selective justice. “The government’s diligence in filing a string of cases against Maria and Rappler clears any doubt that selective justice is hard at work,� Akbayan spokesman Gio Tingson said in a

statement.

Some netizens, Senate candidates and groups also hit the government’s supposed attack against journalists who were critical of the Duterte administration. “It is very clear that this administration is threatened by journalists who do their job justly,� said Kimberly Reyes, one of the readers of Rappler.

Marichu Bartolaba, also a Rappler reader, slammed Ressa’s arrest, saying “Duterte’s government can’t even arrest big time drug lords.�

‘Their day will come’ Opposition Senate bet Manuel “Chel� Diokno Jr. , meanwhile, backed Ressa, who he said, “continues to speak truth to power� after her arrest. “I stand with Maria Ressa, who continues to speak truth to power. May araw rin ang mga nagbabaluktot sa batas (Their day will come),� Diokno said.

Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano likewise asserted that “press freedom is not only for journalists but for the people who deserve the truth through critical and independent reporting.�

Akbayan Youth spokesman Cassie Deluria also condemned Ressa’s arrest, pointing out that “if President Duterte can attack large media organizations like Rappler, what is stopping him from targeting student publications and community media next?�

Ka b a t a a n p a r t y l i s t a l s o slammed “another attack on the onslaught of violations on press freedom by the fascist Duterte regime.� “Ressa is known for being critical of the administration’s anti-people policies, reporting stories from the grassroots on how these programs have worsen the dire condition of the Filipino people,� the group said. “Moreover, the alternative press and other online news OUTkTS HAVE BEEN CONTINUOUSLY attacked by cyber interceptions.

On a report by Quirium Media, Bulatlat , Kodao Productions, Pinoy Weekly, and Altermidya have been targeted by distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS) since December 2018,� it added.

Business Times Q keep in view

SUNDAY MARCH 31, 2019 Email: bizreports@manilatimes.net

This child of immigrant parents may have reconnected with her Filipino roots late in life, but she’s making up for lost time. She set up a business in 2017 that holds out a helping hand to Pinoys struggling TO kND A FOOTHOLD IN THE FABLED CITY OF 6IENNA

Business leaders to watch out for

Noveline Ortega Founder and CEO Cenocy Austria

“

You’ve got a friend in her

I never thought about the problems of Filipinos. I was Austrian; I was born here.

I didn’t know what it was like to come with nothing... to start anew... to not speak the language

BY MARGIE T. LOGARTA Photos by Nadene Baclig IMMIGRATING can be darn scary.

Picture leaving everything that’s warm, cozy and familiar to build a new life among strangers with alien traditions and lifestyle practices. Worse, the language barrier presents a very real obstacle and may mean going back to school for months to learn the basics of communication in a foreign land.

Then, there’s the concern of earning a living and becoming a useful member of one’s adopted society.

Where does one begin?Noveline Ortega, who established Cenocy–a specialist in translating, immigration and employment ISSUES IN 6IENNA !USTRIAmWOULD like to help calm the uncertainty of newbies in her birth city and set them off on their path, more confident about future possibilities. “Novi,� as everyone calls her, is the only child of Carlito and Susan Ortega of Lucena City, Quezon, who migrated to Austria in 1984, with Susan, a midwife, going ahead, and her husband, a Navy man, following shortly. Novi was born in 1987.

As is common with children of immigrant stock, Novi grew up rather distant from her Filipino roots, with German and English as her first languages. Her parents, whose Germanlanguage skills remain at the conversation level, did not place a priority on speaking Pilipino. That, Novi had to pick up on her own during return visits to Lucena as a teenager. “My relatives spoke to me in Tagalog, so, I had no choice but to try to speak it, too.�

The Austria that Novi spent her school years in is very different from the one that her two sons, Cedric, 8 and Cynon, 7, are now growing up in. “I looked different from everyone else,� she recalls. “They wondered about my dark hair and why MY PARENTS DIDN T SPEAK 'ERMAN lUENTLY u 7ITH THE INlUX OF REFUGEES AND OTHERS seeking greener pastures, the human landscape in Europe these days is a tapestry of COMPLEXIONS AND HAIR HUES It wasn’t until Novi started working AT THE 0HILIPPINE %MBASSY IN 6IENNA IN AS A TRANSLATOR THAT SHE EXPERIENCED AN EPIPHANY OF SORTS g) BEGAN TO BE EXposed to the hardships our kababayan (fellow Filipinos) went through to settle in a new country. “My first translation case involved someone who had stabbed another person several times. It was a disaster since I was SO INEXPERIENCED &ROM THEN ON ) MADE IT a point to learn. “The important thing is to calm down the person you are translating for, and then, you will be able to get a sense of what happened, why did he or she did the act. You do not have to translate word for word but in basic terms, narrate what happened.�

Looking back, she admits: “I never thought about the problems of Filipinos.

All I knew was that I was Austrian; I was born here. I didn’t know what it was like to come here with nothing to start anew‌ to not speak the language‌to deal with the Austrian mentality. “Then, it dawned on me: ‘Why couldn’t ) kLL IN THE SPACE BETWEEN &ILIPINOS AND Austrians?’â€?

B1

ABOUT ME ROLE MODEL My parents Susan and Carlito, who inspire me with a humility they show to everyone around them.

GOALS To help and assist our kababayan (fellow Filipinos) as well as other nationalities who need to hurdle the challenges of language barriers in immigrating to Austria. To help in translation and European Union recruitment issues.

With a degree in human resource management (specialty: working law) from Benedikt University in Zurich, SwitZERLAND PLUS A CERTIkCATE AS A CERTIkED TRANSLATOR SHE QUALIkED FOR THE LICENSES THE Austrian government required to operate a translation, immigration and recruitment company. Cenocy sports a four-leaf clover in its collaterals, which, Novi she says, is her lucky charm.

As a translator, Novi is often called

by police and immigration authorities TO PUT INTO 'ERMAN THE EXPLANATIONS and statements of Pilipino and Englishspeaking rule breakers and refugees.

The task is grueling and can run on for hours, with a call from officials coming in at any time.

It can also be dangerous since underworld characters are also often involved. “But no one can stop her from doing this,� her father observes with a hint of pride.

quest waitstaff, housekeepers, cooks and caregivers. Educators and other skilled workers, Novi says, appeal to Austrian institutions and companies. “A teacher from an international school in Manila recently arrived to work here. There are no domestic helpers hired out of the Philippines.�

Cenocy also helps complete paperwork needed for visas and citizenship and translates documents from the Phil-

FIRST PAYING JOB Conference Clerk at the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria.

MORNING ROUTINE Checking my emails.

SPECIAL SKILLS I believe I have a strong extrasensory perception. I can usually predict an outcome and sense if something wrong will happen. This has helped me in my personal life to plan the future in an ideal way

TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Only when needed.

Q Novi is backed by her team composed of Miah Baccay, Maying Bonifacio and Jane Singh-Raymundo (right); on a snowboarding holiday

“She has always had a mind of her own.�

Novi’s cases have ranged from drug running to rape. There are a few Filipinos who have sought political asylum in Austria and are now staying in refugee camps, awaiting verdict on their pleas.

In recruiting, Cenocy tries to find jobs for Filipinos, who are residing in Austria as dependents of those already gainfully employed. Restaurants, households and senior folks’ homes are known to re-

ippines into German if there is a need.

These services, however, are not limited to a Filipino clientele. “We try to help other nationalities who come to us for help,� says Cenocy’s driving spirit.

Novi’s staff consists of Filipinos, who, like her, have lived in the “City of Waltzes� for years. Maying Bonifacio is responsible for translations and back office operations; Miah Baccay handles recruitment and social media;

KC Arguelles is recruitment assistant; and Mary Jane Raymundo engages with immigration authorities. Marketing the business takes place during events and social activities. She also has staff in Manila to source for documents pertaining to clients’ portfolios.

With still so much work to be done AROUND !USTRIA EXPANSION OF #ENOCY S services is still in the backburner, although there is a small operation in Zurich. But Novi is optimistic of future movement.

Cenocy—a portmanteau of Novi’s name and those of her sons Cedric and Cynon— RElECTS HER LIFE S PURPOSE TO ACT AS A BRIDGE between people, cultures and their new homeland.

With her guts and grace, she is bound for success.

B2

Business Times

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

˜˜ The Sunday Times

Editor: Edwin P. Sallan Email: edwin.sallan@manilatimes.net

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Fly the unfriendly skies O

S TA R T U P S P OT L I G H T

Redefining the culture of play with Playville.Ph

ROUGH TRADE

Q Siblings RC Cordova and Tinella Cordova-Villota of Playville PH.

BY MARGA BELLOSILLO

I

T all began with a vision to take children’s imagination to places they’ve never been before.

That was what led siblings RC Cordova and Tinella Cordova-Villota to conceptualize Playville.Ph, a pioneering and emerging mobile playground business aimed at providing kids with meaningful interactions through purposeful play. “When I was a child, there were toys that I wanted but could not afford. I spent most of my time going to the playground and interacting with other children. Because of my experiences, I realized that creating and bringing a

playground to a party would let children have access to their aspirational toys,� RC recalled. “Growing up we were exposed to playing in the streets and we did not have gadgets back then. The children of today are really different from our generation because they are exposed to the internet. Back then, we did not have gadgets and internet. Children’s parties were held in popular fastfood restaurants. These restaurants had ball pits, slides and the like. I want the children of today to experience that,� added Tinelle, a woman who balances work and motherhood to two toddlers.

Seven months after Playville.Ph began operations in May last year, it was formally launched last November. RC and Tinella are both very careful in selecting

TOYS AND INlATABLES THAT NOT ONLY KIDS would enjoy but would also be critical in their value-formation, cognitive and socialemotional development. “We offer rental of unique pretend PLAY TOYS AND INlATABLES THAT CATERS TO kids ages 1-7 years old. Most of these toys are not locally available or would entail high cost to procure for the parents. Given the range of toys we have, it can satisfy the different preferences of the kids. More so, it will let them try other play scenarios they are not usually exposed to, allowing learning to take place with the new experience,�

RC pointed out.

The Playville concept has been an instant hit with both parents and children. “We actually doubled our bookings since we started. Our presence in so-

cial media also grew and in just three months, we garnered more than a thousand followers. We also added new toys in our packages and our weekends are now fully booked,� RC shared.

And as more favorable testimonials have emerged via word of mouth and social media, RC and Tinella have bigger things in mind for Playville.Ph and how it is redefining the culture of play. More innovative toys are going to be introduced in the coming summer months. “We’re planning to launch our pretend play houses to create a mini-village of professions that will inspire the imagination. We will also add a slew of toys that will inspire socialemotional development as well as physical development,�

RC further shared.

Economic surge seen in Pangasinan town THE historically rich town of Bayambang in Pangasinan is likely to get public attention for its bid to land at the Guinness Book of World Records again, this time for the tallest bamboo sculpture. The town kESTA SCHEDULED FROM !PRIL TO WILL HIGHLIGHT THE unveiling of a 51-meter tall statue of its patron St. Vincent Ferrer.

"UT EQUALLY SIGNIkCANT IS THE TOWN S IMPENDING breakthrough towards economic development as seen by its mayor Cezar Quiambao as he invites local and foreign tourists to come and join in the celebration.

4HIS IS PERHAPS THE TOWN S BIGGEST kESTA TO DATE WITH celebrities and businesses coming in. “The income to be generated in this week-long celebration will jumpstart the development of this town,� the mayor said in a conversation with Manilabased reporters.

4HE EIGHT DAY ACTIVITY kLLED EVENT CARRIES THIS YEAR S THEME OF kGHTING POVERTY “Bayang Pinagtibay ng Pagkakaisa at Pananampalataya Laban sa Kahirapan: 400 Taon ng Pagpapala ng Parokya ni San Vicente Ferrer.�

The theme commemorates the 400th year of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, heralded as a solemn sanctuary for Bayambanguenos, people from surrounding towns and even outside of Pangasinan. The said statue will be the centerpiece of St. Vincent Ferrer Park in Barangay Bani which is part of its Bayambang’s 67-hectare new town being developed.

From April 2 to 6, the hardworking and businessminded in the community will be honored through

Q Mayor Cezar Quiambao of the municipal government of Bayambang, Pangasinan with celebrity-wife Niùa Jose-Quiambao. happenings like Fiesta Negosyante, Farmers’ Day, Senior Citizens Day, among others.

1UIAMBAO SAID g/NE WAY TO kGHT POVERTY IS ECOnomic development. We in our town is inspiring each other to be productive and develop an entrepreneurial mindset for the growth of the community.�

Obviously beloved by his constituents, the mayor’s popularity stemmed from his efforts to return home to his hometown (after a long, fruitful stint abroad) and spearhead considerable changes towards municipality progress.

Five years ago, Bayambang beat a previous world record for the longest barbecue at 8 kilometers. The apparent marketing ploy practically placed the once sleepy town in the world map.

N Thursday, Icelandic low-cost carrier WOW Air abruptly ceased operations after a hoped-for financial rescue failed to materialize, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in Europe and North America. WOW’s apparently sudden demise was just the latest in a series of failures that BEN suggests 2019 may be KRITZ an annus horribilis for the airline industry.

WOW had gained popularity steadily after its inauguration in 2012, focusing on a low-cost, long-haul model. Up until the last quarter of last year, things seemed to be going well; the airline hauled 3.5 million passengers in 2018. In October, however, WOW took some drastic cost-cutting steps, eliminating some flights and returning some leased aircraft. By November, the airline’s CEO was injecting his own money to keep operations running and casting about for investors. Negotiations with Iceland’s flag carrier Icelandair and venture capital firm Indigo Partners fell apart, grounding WOW’s fleet of bright-purple Airbuses and thousands of passengers scrambling to find a ride home.

We have barely finished the first quarter of 2019, and already seven significant airlines have gone out of business, compared with 11 all of last year. Both airlines in Tajikistan have gone under: Tajik Air, which has been in operation since 1930, and the much newer LCC Asian Express Airline. Insel Air, a popular interisland carrier in the Caribbean and based in Curaçao, went under last month, as did Flybmi, the last remnant of the once-great British Midland International. US regional operator California Pacific has also shut down, and so has Germania LCC Germania, which until the very end had an outstanding order for 25 planes from Airbus to add to the 30 already in its fleet.

All of this is taking place against the backdrop of what might properly be described as a scandal involving Boeing’s 737 Max — the latest version of the world’s most commonly used airline model family — following fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

At the same time, Boeing’s competitor Airbus, while not facing the same sort of public relations nightmare, is working through the complicated and decidedly unprofitable process of ending production of its giant A380, a technical marvel built for a market need it turned out no one actually had, and far too expensive too operate. The A380 in a way represents two mistakes in one for Airbus: it shelved production of its reasonably popular and successful A340 in favor of the bigger plane, losing that market niche to Boeing’s 777.

Conventional thinking sees the trouble involving the world’s two aircraft giants, problems that are fundamentally attributable to the inevitable inertia almost unmanageably huge companies develop, as opportunities for smaller players. Other manufacturers like Canada’s Bombardier, Brazil’s Embraer, Russia’s Tupolev and Sukhoi, and China Aircraft Corp. have all been looking for cracks in the Boeing-Airbus ringfence. The LCC market has been viewed as fertile ground, a market that has a high demand for smaller, more flexible aircraft than what the big boys are building — especially since, as the 737 Max has demonstrated in a horrifying way, the latest airliner designs are almost too complex for human pilots to handle. The flight manual for the 737 Max, for instance, a book that pilots in an emergency need to consult find answers in, sometimes in a matter of seconds, is more than 1,400 pages long.

Unfortunately, just about the time the opportunity presented itself, it has begun to evaporate. It turns out that the LCC model actually doesn’t work, or rather, works only under conditions so narrow that the definition no longer applies. WOW Air folded because it is simply not possible to move people back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean for $139 each way — not unless it can be on a massive scale. 3.5 million passengers in a year are not enough; America’s Southwest and Ireland’s Ryanair, two “low-cost� carriers that are considered successful, carry 10-12 million passengers per month.

The upshot of all this is that for all the aspirations of “liberalizing� and “democratizing� the airline industry, talk that began with US deregulation in 1979 and then rose to a crescendo when Asia finally got over the 1997 Financial Crisis, natural forces are pushing the industry to a profound level of consolidation: A relatively small number of very large airlines, whose business models are dictated by what two enormous manufacturers can produce in quantities sufficient to meet the needs for massive fleets of aircraft. This year appears to be the year when the proverbial chickens will come home to roost; when the world realizes that no, air travel is not actually available to the teeming masses who heretofore would have considered a bus ticket an extravagance.

It will have a profound effect on the economy, and probably not a good one; not just in the airline industry, but for any place reliant on tourism, on business travel, and on migration.

Tracing back, the goal to create the tallest polygonal sculpture made of bamboo and steel started from Quiambao’s wife NiĂąa Jose-Quiambao, a former “Pinoy Big Brotherâ€? housemate who is now Bayambang’s POPULAR kRST LADY 3HE SHARED g3INCE -AYOR #EZAR TOOK OFkCE IN WE HAVE BEEN VERY HANDS ON WHEN IT COMES TO THE kESTA PREPARATIONS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE that it can be one of the biggest income generators for Bayambang. So, it’s not just about celebrating but also providing a better life to all BayambangueĂąos.â€?

The mayor added: “The statue of St. Ferrer will DEkNITELY BE AN ATTRACTION AND A PILGRIMAGE SITE )T S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THIS YEAR S TOWN kESTA WILL open doors for opportunity and really jumpstart the development the town of Bayambang deserves.�

Historically, Bayambang was the last capital of the Republic manned by revolutionary hero Emilio AguiNALDO SINCE IT WAS THE PLACE HE WENT TO AFTER lEEING TO the north to escape from pursuing Americans during the Filipino-American War of the late 19th century. It was originally called Balunguey or Malunguey when the town was established in 1614.

To guide the town towards modernity, Quiambao is urging private sponsors and open-minded busiNESSMEN TO HELP kNANCE IT "ACK IN THE S WHEN IT dawned on him that little changes were happening, he initiated to take actions to turn his town to what it is today. His mantra has always been simple yet aggressively being channeled into proper action: Bayan ko babalikan ko, tutulungan ko. YUGEL LOSORATA

ben.kritz@manilatimes.net

‘He is my son. He can do it.’

L

ET me share the story of Dr. Wang, the founder of a once distinguished global giant and NYSE publicly traded Wang Laboratories. Long before Apple became a household name, Wang Lab, founded in 1951, lorded over the technology landscape.

In 1982, Wang generated revenues of more than a billion dollars, and by 1989 sales registered $3 billion. The growth also produced 24,800 dedicated employees but in just a matter OF THREE YEARS THE GROUP kLED FOR bankruptcy protection. The group’s FATAL lAW )TS FOUNDER THOUGHT IT WAS a family business, until it was too late.

One of the major causes that contributed to the company’s failure was Dr. Wang’s insistence that his ill equipped and unprepared son succeed him.

A 1992 Computerworld piece about Wang Laboratories’ demise pinned the problem on a strong desire to build a company with a family lineage. And when Dr.

FAMILIES IN BUSINESS PROF. ENRIQUE SORIANO Wang made his son, Fred, president, the report noted that many people within the company had concerns: “For years, there have been quiet concern about Fred. Members of the board of directors had worried that Fred did not have the experience, the judgment — the overall heft — to lead the company. Ever since the middle of the 1980s, outside directors had made repeated efforts to persuade the Doctor to bring in a professional manager — to give Fred an impressive title if needed but to avoid placing the young man in operational control of this sprawling, worldwide corporation in the thick of the most competitive industry on earth.�

Doc Wang would not yield. To

the directors he said: “He is my son.

He can do it.�

Every family story highlights nepotism as having a negative effect on a company’s future. Dr. Wang saw his namesake company as a family business. That legacy mindset contributed to the demise. In one of his book interviews, Dr. Wang even remarked, “All other things being equal, my children should be more highly motivated than a professional manager because of their substantial stake in the ownership of the company,�

Forcing children to join the family business is wrong Most business owners commit a major blunder when they make their children feel obligated to join the company. This wrong method of employing children can compromise the business as it breeds owner/ managers who are entitled, not com-

mitted, unprepared and indifferent.

When an offspring exhibits any of these traits (parent, child, sibling relationships becoming strained, no clear vision of the future or nonfamily employees bypassed in favor of an entitled child), you can expect conflict to manifest in many forms. This toxic situation translates to a lot of time wasted for all parties and the business inevitably takes a direct beating.

Children who are apathetic or lack the drive should not have worked in THE ENTERPRISE IN THE kRST PLACE .ONEtheless, if parents insist, the tradeoff can cause serious consequences: – A miserable but entitled child can bully his or her way to gain respect – Non-family executives are demotivated – Parents end up regaining control and restrain young members’ activities – Governance and succession

initiatives are sidelined.

In my experience coaching dozens of family enterprises in Asia, I have seen ill-prepared nextgeneration members slugging it out and inevitably destroying the business. As governance colleague Henry Foley remarked in his Harvard Business School article he co-authored, “despite their lack of experience, these offspring may ascend to leadership positions because of the family connection, increasing the chances that the business will fail.�

To escape the trap, Foley suggest intervention on proper training and screening. He continues, “it’s natural for a family business to welcome members of the next generation, and it’s healthy to expose them to the company at an early age, so that they can make an informed decision about whether to pursue a career there. But a job with the company shouldn’t be an entitlement. Those who

want to join deserve no special accommodation.We now see an emerging best practice in which families formally require any child who wants a job to (a) earn a university degree — and in some cases a graduate degree, (b) gain several years of relevant professional experience outside the family business, and (c) apply for open positions in competition with non-family applicants.�

Prof Enrique Soriano is a World Bank/IFC Governance Consultant, Senior Advisor of Post and Powell Singapore and the Executive Director of Wong + Bernstein Family Advisory Group, a research AND CONSULTING kRM IN !SIA THAT serves family businesses and family foundations. He was formerly chair of the Marketing Cluster at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in Manila, and is currently a visiting Senior Fellow of the IPMI International School, Jakarta.

˜ The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Smart farming comes to town TECH SPACE TONY MAGHIRANG

A

KIND of digital transformation is making inroads into the Philippine agriculture sector. On surface, it appears to be the application of “artikCIAL INTELLIGENCE u NO PUN INTENDED

to Filipino farmers who are generally viewed as one of the poorest, most exploited but among the hardest working citizens in a supposedly growing national economy.

A typical farmer is 58 years old, lives in a rural community and earns about A MONTH TO FEED A FAMILY OF kVE members. He does not own the land he tills from sunup to sundown.

Today’s farmer may also be the last of a dying breed. Enrollment in agricultural schools is reportedly at an all-time low and with free college education, farming parents, other than traders and their ilk, will work harder to give their children that big break at a white collar job in the city or abroad. There are even stories that some Filipino farmers have chosen to go to other countries like Japan where their age-old homegrown skills are better appreciated.

This state of affairs is usually attributed to lack of support but the Department of Agriculture (DA), for example, has always been allocating its multi-billion peso annual budget in training, extension work, farm improvement and mechanization and related services that should redound to enhanced farm productivity and higher farmer incomes. On the heels of the latest round of rice industry debacles, the agency renewed its SCIENTIkC AND TECHNICAL PARTNERSHIP with the International Rice Research Institute to address the continuing challenges posed by climate change and food security to the sector.

To also help reduce endemic poverty in farming communities, a host of responses anchored on new technologies is being launched under the banner of smart farming. Innovations in kNTECH OR kNANCIAL TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS e-wallets and blockchain are expected TO FACILITATE THE kNANCIAL INCLUSION OF sectors including farmers currently underserved by banking institutions.

The basic idea is for the tillers to gain access to time-sensitive loans and slowly transform them into enterprising individuals.

Not to denigrate the Filipino farmers but many of them have only primary school education and it may take some time for them to understand new technology, let alone get weaned from TECHNOLOGICAL AND kNANCIAL BONDAGE with their favorite middleman, or landlord for that matter. Borrowing and probably entrepreneurship may be for their skilled sons and daughters, who may not be taking up their father’s laborious legacy any day soon.

So far, the biggest and most promising breakthrough is the establishment of a Smart Plant Production in Controlled Environments (Spice) project at University of the Philippines campus in Diliman. Supported by the DoST, the university’s Institute of Biology and the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute are building a P128 million nursery of endemic and indigenous plants.

The smart farm, which started construction last year, will promote the adoption of advanced farming methods to increase harvests and minimize losses. It is also being seen as a model for urban farming and a platform for plant conservation.

It’s definitely a worthwhile undertaking but here’s the thing.

Promotions-wise, where does the project stand in relation to UP Los BaĂąos being the foremost and wellrecognized seat of agricultural advancement in the country? Likewise, will there be a cooperative link with similar initiatives such as the smart greenhouses being propagated by DA with South Korea?

And sure, we get it, urban farming at a crucial time when it’s the rural stakeholders who need all the help they can get.

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

Sunday Business & I.T.

B3

Fingerprint sensor shipments to reach 1.26B in 2019 D ESPITE biometric modalities like face and iris recognition competing against fingerprint biometrics, the consumer market is expected to reach approximately 1.26 billion fingerprint sensor shipments by the end of 2019.

According to analyst firm ABI Research, leading and innovative smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and LG, are driving face recognition applications in consumer electronics.

End-users certainly have a lot of biometric upgrades to look forward to in the coming years including the incorporation OF AN gINVISIBLE IN GLASSu kNGERPRINT SENsor for smartphones, a more streamlined approach to iris recognition, as well as more accurate behavioral recognition.

However, one particular implementation seems to be more delayed than initially expected: biometrically embedded PAYMENT CARDS WITH kNGERPRINT SENSORS are off to rough start. “We have seen all relevant actors and market innovators making all necessary preparations during the last three years — educating the public regarding BATTERY LESS kNGERPRINT EMBEDDED CARDS

technologies that allow energy harvesting from nearby terminals, meticulous CONFORMITY TO %-6 SPECIkCATIONS AND even addressing issues like tamper-resistant integrated circuits for additional protection of any biometric data con-

TAINED THEREIN u SAID $IMITRIOS 0AVLAKIS

industry analyst at ABI Research. “Although most of the supporting technology has indeed reached critical mass there are still a few pricing and operational issues that currently keep many projects in THE PILOT PHASE u However, credit card companies like MasterCard and Visa; market leaders like Gemalto, Idemia, and FPC; and innovative market entrants like Idex, Next Biometrics, Zwipe and Smartmatic

are currently some of the main actors expected to lead this biometric evolution in the near future. Fingerprint sensor embedded payment cards are expected TO EXPERIENCE SIGNIkCANT GROWTH FROM 2021 onwards.

The automotive industry is also ripe for a user security upgrade with biometric APPLICATIONS SET TO INCREASE SIGNIkCANTLY through 2024.

These applications include merging LEADING MODALITIES LIKE FACE kNGERPRINT

voice and iris with Adas (advanced driver assistance systems), health monitoring and user customization.

Advanced analytics and machine vision coupled with face recognition and surveillance, iris recognition in governmental and civil applications, and even biometrically-enhanced cryptocurrency wallets are some of the enticing new applications expected to keep biometric automotive technologies in the spotlight in the coming years.

Reasons you still need a landline at home FOR digital-savvy netizens, the landline IS AS gOLD SCHOOLu AS IT GETS Although it represented a time of an older generation, landlines have evolved and continue to be a crucial component of any communication ecosystem, especially at home.

Which raises an interesting debate — in an age where everything can be done on a mobile device, is it still practical to have a landline at home?

Here are some reasons to ponder on.

friends. And much like your mobile phone, you can now also enjoy conversations anywhere at home with cordless landline phones offered by your service providers. In fact, the handset of digital enhanced cordless technology phones can now reach up to 300

Cost-efficient

meters away from the base if without any interference. A delight for families who need multiple phone connections around the household for convenience and easy reach (especially those who live in the rural areas). And of course, for children who are too young to own a mobile phone, guardians will still be able to stay connected with them at all times through the landline.

massage, car wash, and home cleaning.

You can even save up on your bills by bundling it with your internet service, which often offers free mobile calls with your landline subscription.

Having a landline at home can also help you save and decrease your overall phone bills, especially if you’re a fan of home deliveries and home-based services such as nail spa, hair and make-up,

Landlines are very reliable You might find this useful during power outages and when your mobile phone is drained of its battery. With landline phones you won’t have to worry about battery life or load credits. On the other hand, it’s much faster calling 911 and other hotlines in case of emergencies as they can immediately pinpoint your location from where you are calling.

Strong connections You get a stable connection for longer gTELEBABADu sessions with your closest

Home design If you are a PLDT Home Broadband customer, complete your home’s com-

munication network with a cordless landline for as low as P79 per month.

PLDT also offers free calls to Smart/ TNT and Sun Numbers. Interested subscribers can also opt to upgrade to the Basic Cordless unit, which has high-quality hands-free speakerphone, caller ID display capable, and with up to 10 hours talk time.

A Premium Base unit is also available for an additional P99 per month. It features longer talk times, a power fail back-up system, answering mac h i n e, i n t e r c o m and transfer calls between handsets, among others.

And for those who are aesthetically inclined, the Prime Cordless. It’s sleek and trendy design plus some of the highlights listed above are yours for P199 per month. All units are powered by the number 1 global cordless phone manufacturer VTech.

So, is the landline worth having at HOME 4HE ANSWER IS A DEkNITE YES 7ITH a landline at home, your family can enjoy reliable connectivity and savings for the family.

‘Shoppertainment’ brings 318M visits to Lazada SOUTHEAST Asia e-commerce leader Lazada wrapped up its seventh birthday celebrations, drawing more than 318 million visits to its platform over its week-long celebration. The sales tally for the 24-hour shopping event was 15x compared to normal days sales. It also marks the success of Lazada’s ‘Shoppertainment’ concept, which blends shopping and entertainment, to offer customers new shopping experiences through the app. ,AZADA IS THE kRST E COMMERCE PLATform in Southeast Asia to live stream ITS kRST EVER 3UPER 0ARTY CONCERT WHICH

featured British popstar Dua Lipa and top artistes such as Nadine Lustre, Sam Concepcion and Pia Wurtzbach, drawing 12 million views both in-app and on television. In addition, more than 5,000 also turned up in full-force at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (BSD) in Jakarta.

Aside from the Super Party, shoppers on average came on the Lazada app six times a day to play LazGame (Fruit Slash, Birthday Blast and Popping Balloons). A total of 2.5 million people played to score more deals with 9 out of 10 customers collecting

cupcakes that can be redeemed for shopping voucher.

Lazada Philippines recorded twice the number of visits versus its normal day with over 5 million transactions during its peak hour. Among the top kVE BRANDS THAT MADE IT TO THE ,AZADA Top Brand Leaderboard were make-up brand Maybelline, smartphone giant Xiaomi, newly launched TV brand Coocaa, milk brand Promil and Pampers diapers. “It has been a wonderful seven years for Lazada and we are thankful for the chance to serve our shoppers,

sellers, and brands. Our goal has always been to develop an e-commerce ecosystem that now includes live streaming, games and will continuously nurture the growth of brands AND SELLERS IN THE REGION u SAID 2AY Alimurung, Lazada Philippines chief executive officer.

4O kREUP THE BUSINESSES OF ,AZADA S brands and sellers it recently announced THE LAUNCH OF ITS g3UPER SOLUTIONSu TO win market share in the region, by tapping on Lazada’s branding, marketing and sales offerings, to transform them INTO g3UPER E"USINESSES u

Sunday Business & I.T. wwwe@manilatimes.net

SUNDAY MARCH 31, 31 2019

B4

Editor: Jing Garcia Edito

Upgrade to the new Samsung Galaxy S10, here’s why T

HE 3AMSUNG 'ALAXY 3 HAS kNALLY ARRIVED

MARKING A MILESTONE IN THE TH ANNIVERSARY celebration of the renowned S series by the Korean tech giant.

Dubbed as the “next generaTION OF 'ALAXY u THE 3 SERIES merges functional and visually compelling aesthetic with powerful features designed to meet the demands of a mobile-centric lifestyle. Still on the fence about upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy 3 (ERE ARE kVE REASONS IT MIGHT just be the perfect choice for you: It features the world’s first Dynamic Amoled display. It’s the kRST SCREEN CERTIkED FOR ($2 content. Simply put, it provides for a more immersive mobile experience — sharper details, crisp resolution, brilliant colors and overall stunning display. Together with the phone’s remarkable audio quality, Digital Trends describes the S10 Plus unit as “a movie theATER THAT CAN kT IN YOUR POCKET u It has triple-lens rear cameras. And they’re intelligent too.

There’s a 12-megapixel telephoto, a 12-megapixel wide-angle, and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera — so you’re always camera-ready.

The intelligent camera suggests image compositions and auto-

matically adjusts your settings to the scene.

It features a seamless aesthetic design, combined with INNOVATIVE SENSORS The new Samsung S10 handsets feature prismatic color ways, and the SLEEKER )NkNITY / $ISPLAY FOR AN uninterrupted viewing experience. Pushing the boundaries of mobile innovation, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ screens also tout a built-in Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner so that only you can access your phone.

It remembers your mobile habits. The Intelligent Performance %NHANCER TAKES MOBILE EFkCIENCY and intuition to a whole new level by optimizing the way you interact with your phone. It anticipates your needs by preloading the apps you frequently use, so no time and battery life is wasted. )T IS AVAILABLE ON DATA PACKED GigaX Plans powered by PH’s fastest LTE network. What better way to maximize all of Samsung Galaxy S10’s advanced features than on Smart LTE, the country’s

FASTEST ,4% NETWORK AS CERTIkED BY renowned third-party analysts, including Tutela, Ookla and OpenSignal. With GigaX Plans and Smart LTE, you can stream your favorite videos seamlessly,

UPLOAD AND DOWNLOAD kLES IN AN instant, and share your stunning photos with friends and loved ones in no time.

You can get the Galaxy S10 on a Smart GigaX Plan with two pay-

ment options: via full cash-out, or at lower amortization per month and one-time cashout. Smart offers the Galaxy S10 at P2,299 per month (with a one-time cashout of P11,010 for the device); the Gal-

axy S10+ (128GB) at P2,499 per month (with a one-time cashout of P11,210 for the device); and the Galaxy S10e at P2,099 per month (with a one-time cashout of P8,410 for the device).

Xiaomi outs tripple-camera Mi9 in PH XIAOMI OFkCIALLY ANNOUNCED -I THE COMPANY S LATEST lAGSHIP THAT COMBINES performance with a stunning new design.

Mi 9 runs the leading Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 mobile platform, comes with a new AI triple camera containing the latest 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor, AND IS THE WORLD S kRST SMARTPHONE TO feature 20W wireless charging.

Powered by the newest generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, based on the 7nm manufacturing process, Mi 9 can achieve an Antutu benchmark score of over 380,000.

The all-new Kryo 485 CPU has a maximum clock speed of 2.84GHz, with improved single-core performance of up to 45 percent over its predecessor, while the new Adreno 640 GPU gives up to a 20 percent boost. In addition, the fourth-generation AI Engine provides up to three times faster AI performance. Mi 9 is also equipped with LPDDR4x 2133MHz RAM. The Mi 9 has an all-curved back cover DESIGN ALLOWING IT TO kT COMFORTABLY IN the hand. An advanced back cover color process gives Mi 9 a stylish holographic

rainbow spectrum, so it looks different every time it is picked up.

On the front, Mi 9 sports a 6.39-inch 19.5:9 Samsung Amoled Dot Drop display. Under this display is a new and improved in-screen fingerprint sensor that unlocks the phone up to 25 percent faster than the previous generation, and works well even in low-light conditions.

4HE -I IS 8IAOMI S kRST lAGSHIP WITH AN AI triple camera, with the main camera utilizing the latest 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 SENSOR 4HE !) TRIPLE CAMERA COMBINAtion of the 48-megapixel main camera, 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera gave Mi 9 a score of 107 by the authoritative DxOMark website, giving it a third-place world ranking of all tested smartphones. In addition, a video score of 99 puts it at number one on DxOMark for video capture. In addition, Mi 9 now comes with new photo modes.

It has a large 3300mAh battery, featuring a fast charging solution for both wired and wireless charging. The 27W wired charging supports Qualcomm’s QC4+ standard, and

enables Mi 9 to safely charge to 70 percent in just 30 minutes, and fully charge in 60 mins. To achieve this, Mi 9 contains sigNIkCANT INNOVATIONS IN WIRELESS CHARGING architecture. A new wireless charging coil ENHANCES THE WIRELESS CHARGING EFkCIENCY and stability of the Mi 9, so it can hit the highest 20W wireless charging at its peak.

Thanks to innovations such as a HIGH VOLTAGE 3MART 0! AMPLIkER AND AN accompanying 0.9cc large sound cavity, Mi 9 outputs amazing sound quality with powerful bass. Optimizations have ALSO BEEN MADE SPECIkCALLY FOR DIFFERENT scenarios such as video-watching and gaming purposes. Connectivity-wise, Mi 9 continues to use the well-received dualfrequency GPS from its predecessor to achieve ultra-precise positioning.

The Mi 9 will come in Piano Black, Ocean Blue and Lavander Violet. It will retail at P22,990 for the 6GB + 64GB, and P24,990 for the 6GB + 128GB. It will roll out on Mi Authorized Stores starting March 30, 2019, and will soon be available on Lazada.

Social media’s influence on political participation depends on level of interest LET’S TALK T #SOCIAL HE kRST THING ) DO WHEN ) wake up is to go through my Twitter feed for current events or engage with my followers. Not everyone is on twitter though. Facebook is still the number one social media platform in the Philippines.

Based on the “2019 WeAre3OCIALu SURVEY PERCENT OF internet users use Facebook followed by Youtube (96 percent), Messenger (89 percent), Instagram (64 percent) and Twitter (54 percent). While Facebook does not generate original news content, it has grown into an important medium for news. Social media’s INlUENCE ON POLITICAL PARTICIPAtion such as voting, advocacy or self-expression remains unclear but there are studies.

Three women in the academe conducted research on young Filipinos below 45 years old.

Clarissa C. David, Ma. Rosel S. San Pascual and Ma. Eliza

NOEMI LARDIZABAL-DADO 3 4ORRES TESTED kVE HYPOTHESES using data collected from an online survey of 978 Filipinos from Feb. 1 to March 31, 2016. The study examined the “link between reliance on Facebook for news, political knowledge and political ENGAGEMENT IN THE 0HILIPPINESu BY TESTING kVE HYPOTHESES USING DATA gathered from the online survey.

Reliance as used by the researchers means that if one does not receive news stories through the Facebook platform, no alternate source would be available.

And the result is low knowledge OF POLITICS 4HE kNDINGS OF THE study interest me because I post a lot of news and political commentaries. My feed includes posts from friends with diverse

political views but not as much as my twitter feed. Findings “support the hypothesis that those who rely less on social media as a news source exhibit higher levels of perceived knowledge about politics than those who rely more ON IT FOR NEWS u 4HIS ASSOCIATION holds true even while controlling for news consumption in traditional news channels. Higher levels of interest and engagement among the respondents are associated with following the Facebook pages of political OFkCIALS OR INSTITUTIONS ON SOCIAL media. Respondents with more politically active friends report higher levels of exposure to political content online.

The data did not support two hypotheses: (1) Those who look at themselves as sources of political information during conversations are also more likely to discuss politics with others; and (2) those with more friends on their network who are politically

active would have higher levels of knowledge and engagement than those who have fewer politically active friends on Facebook. This was intriguing. I expected exposure to politically active friends on your feed would make one more willing to engage in political action. The study suggests that Facebook may not be an “effective way to mobilize those whose current interest in politics is eiTHER NULL OR WEAK u 4HE STUDY HAS its limitations such as its reliance on self-reports on knowledge and reliance on Facebook for news.

Research on “Direct and Differential Effects of the Internet on 0OLITICAL AND #IVIC %NGAGEMENTu

by Michael Xenos, et al. reveals that any effects of online news on political participation depend on traditional factors such as their level of interest in politics from the start. Another study (stumbling upon news on the internet, YonghwanKim, et al.) reinforces this.

The exposure to information, even

if one is not seeking it, can increase online political participation. Another research (Connecting blog, Twitter and Facebook use with gaps in knowledge and participaTION 3UNG 7OO 9OO CONkRMS the previous studies, that the increased engagement occurs among those already interested in news and politics.

(OW CAN WE INlUENCE THE YOUTH to increase their interest in politics? Political information in one’s Facebook feeds can be toxic.

Heated debates, nasty comments and trolling create a chilling effect.

Some lurkers use closed spaces to discuss these issues. Friends message me to share their opinion about a hot topic on social media. It is unseen forces like harassment that stop a person from being able to comment or engage in a political discussion. Another study (How individual sensitivities to disagreement shape youth political expression on Facebook, Emily Vraga, et al.) shows that

THOSE WHO AVOID CONlICT DISLIKE political posts. Those who enJOY CONlICT POST MORE POLITICAL content. This study concluded that “young voters are open to political information on social media only when presented in A CIVIL MANNER u Facebook may not be an effective way to engage in political participation for those who are not interested in politics.

Using Messenger and other messaging apps is an alternative, a safer place to engage in political discussion. Twitter is another option because of its quality filter, muted words, AND ADVANCED kLTERS THAT LIMit lower-quality content from YOUR NOTIkCATIONS You can download “Reliance on Facebook for news and its INlUENCE ON POLITICAL ENGAGEMENTu PUBLISHED -ARCH

2019 https://journals.plos.org/ plosone/article?id=10.1371/ journal.pone.0212263

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

US condemns Maduro for relying on Russia WASHINGTON: T h e Tr u m p a d ministration on Friday (Saturday in Manila) condemned Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro for what it said was his reliance on foreign military personnel to stay in power and renewed a warning to Russia against getting involved.

President Donald Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton, along with the US special envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said Russia’s military presence in the count r y wa s d e s t a b i l i z i n g a m i d the country’s political and economic crisis. “We strongly caution actors external to the western hemisphere against deploying military assets to Venezuela, or elsewhere in the hemisphere, with the intent of establishing or expanding military operations,� the national security adviser said in a statement released by the White House.

His comments come amid US attempts to press Maduro to give up power, arguing his re election last year was not legitimate. The

Trump administration has joined more than 50 other nations in recognizing the opposition head of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as interim president.

US officials have in recent days stepped up their warnings to Russia about becoming involved militarily following the arrival in Caracas of Russian military planes carrying personnel and cargo.

Abrams, speaking to reporters at the State Department after Bolton’s statement was released, said the US estimates there are about 100 Russian military personnel in Venezuela, primarily working on the South American country’s Russian-purchased S-300 air defense systems, which may have been damaged by recent widespread power outages.

Abrams also said the presence of several thousand Cubans, mainly in Venezuela’s intelligence services, was troubling. “Their presence is extremely pernicious, the same thing is true I would say of the Russian presence,� he said. AP

Worldinbriefs OUTSIDER TO WIN IN SLOVAKIA POLLS BRATISLAVA: Slovaks began voting Saturday for a new president with the favorite an outsider whose anti-corruption stance has resonated with voters, still reeling from the fallout from an investigative journalist’s murder. An environmental lawyer with no experience in political office, Zuzana Caputova could become the EU and eurozone member’s first female president. Her rival in the run-off election is the ruling party’s candidate, EU energy commissioner and career diplomat Maros Sefcovic. Two recent opinion polls give at least 60 percent of the vote to Caputova, who ran on a slogan of “Stand up to evil,� telling AFP that “People are calling for change� in the central European country of 5.4 million.

AFP

2 JAPANESE STUDES DROWN IN AUSTRALIA SYDNEY: Two 16-year-old Japanese students drowned while on a school tour at a popular tourist island in eastern Australia, police said Saturday. Emergency ser vices launched a search and rescue operation near Lake Mackenzie on World Heritage-listed Fraser Island off the Queensland state coast late Friday after the boys were reported missing. Police located the bodies in the water early Saturday morning. “This is a tragic event, there is no doubt about that,� police inspector Tony Clowes told reporters Saturday.

World Trump to shut Mexico border next week P SUNDAY March 31, 2019

ALM BEACH, Fla.: Threatening drastic action against Mexico, President Donald Trump declared he is likely to shut down America’s southern border next week unless Mexican authorities immediately halt all illegal immigration. Such a severe move could hit the economies of both countries, but the president emphasized, “I am not kidding around.� “It could mean all trade� with Mexico, Trump said when questioned Friday by reporters in Florida. “We will close it for a long time.�

Trump has been promising for more than two years to build a long, impenetrable wall along the border to stop illegal immigration, though Congress has been

reluctant to provide the money he needs. In the meantime, he has repeatedly threatened to close the border, but this time, with a new surge of migrants heading north, HE GAVE A DEkNITE TIMETABLE A substantial closure could have an especially heavy impact on cross-border communities from San Diego to South Texas, as well as supermarkets

that sell Mexican produce, factories that rely on imported parts, and other businesses across the US. The US and Mexico trade about $1.7 billion in goods daily, according to the US Chamber of Commerce, which said closing the border would be “an unmitigated economic debacle� that would threaten 5 million American jobs.

Trump tweeted Friday morning: “If Mexico doesn’t immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States through our Southern Border, I will be closing the border, or large sections of the border, next week.�

He didn’t qualify his threat with “or large sections,� stating: “There is a very good likelihood I’ll be closing the border next week, and THAT IS JUST kNE WITH ME u He said several times that it would

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be “so easy� for Mexican authorities to stop immigrants passing through their country and trying to enter the US illegally, “but they just take our money and ‘talk.’�

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen suggested Trump was referring to the ongoing surge of mostly Central American families heading north through Mexico. Many people who cross the border illegally ultimately request asylum under US law, which does not require asylum seekers to enter AT AN OFkCIAL CROSSING Short of a widespread shutdown, Nielsen said the US might close designated ports of entry to re-deploy staff to help process parents and children. Ports of ENTRY ARE OFkCIAL CROSSING POINTS that are used by residents and commercial vehicles.

AP

Afghan Idol winner vows to fight Taliban with music KABUL: 4HE kRST WOMAN TO WIN THE Afghan version of “American Idol�

SAYS SHE WILL kGHT THE 4ALIBAN WITH her music, embracing a victory rich in symbolism as her country faces an uncertain future.

Zahra Elham won the 14th edition of “Afghan Star� last week, after male contestants took the prize in the hugely popular televised singing competition 13 years in a row.

Elham, from Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara minority, enchanted audiences with her high-pitched, raspy voice, performing Hazara and Persian folk music in traditional loose, colorful Afghan dresses and heels.

The result made international headlines at a time when many women in the deeply patriarchal country fear their hard-won rights may come under threat as Washington, seeking a way out of the

war, holds talks with the Taliban.

Elham, who spoke to AFP in an interview at private television channel Tolo, which produces “Afghan Star,� appeared taken aback by her new fame more than a week on — but determined to use it to inspire other girls. “I was very proud of myself but at the same time shocked to be the first woman to win the contest,� the young woman in her early 20s said, her hair elegantly covered with an olive green scarf, visibly still uncomfortable with a camera.

No one sings in her family, she said. She was inspired to compete after watching YouTube videos of idols such as Aryana Sayeed, an Afghan pop singer and social media star often likened to Kim Kardashian — a characterization that in conservative Afghanistan is

Q Zahra Elham. AFP PHOTO a bold, deeply political one.

When asked if she, like Sayeed, is now a role model for Afghanistan’s young women, Elham’s

response underscored the importance of her new platform in a country where women are largely absent from public spaces. AFP

5 KILLED IN CHINA FAC TORY BL AST FIVE people were killed in an explosion in a factor y in east China’s Shandong Province Friday evening, according to local authorities. The explosion happened at 9:35 p.m. in a workshop of a perlite factor y in the city of Qingzhou. Another three people were slightly injured outside the workshop. The private fac tor y owner was held by the local police. Initial investigation showed the accident was caused by a leak in a liquified gas tank . Fur ther investigation is under way.

G LO B A L T I M E S

PAKISTAN INAUGURATES NEW AIRPORT PAKISTAN broke ground for the construction of the China-funded New Gwadar International Airport on Friday, which would link Pakistan’s fast-rising southwest Gwadar port city with the rest of the world. According to the Ministr y of Planning, Development and Reform, the $230 million project fully funded by the Chinese government under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be completed in a period of three years, which is located in Gurandani area, some 26 kilometers northeast of Gwadar city of Balochistan province. The construction of the new airport would be managed by the China Airport Construction Group, and it would be capable of handling a combination of ATR 72, Airbus A-380, Boeing B-737 and Boeing B-747 for domestic and international routes. Covering an area of 18 square km, the new airport would be the second largest airport in Pakistan.

GLOBAL TIMES

MOZ AMBIQUE CHOLERA C ASES RISE TO 139 JOHANNESBURG: Cholera cases in Mozambique among sur vivors of a devastating cyclone have shot up to 139, officials said, as nearly 1 million vaccine doses were rushed to the region and health workers desperately tried to improvise treatment space for victims.

Cholera causes acute diarrhea, is spread by contaminated food and water, and can kill within hours if not treated. The disease is a major concern for the hundreds of thousands of cyclone sur vivors in the southern African nation now living in squalid conditions in camps, schools or damaged homes. The Por tuguese news agenc y Lusa quoted Mozambique national health official Ussein Isse for the new toll. Isse declared the outbreak on Wednesday with just five confirmed cases.

AP

POPE FRANCIS VISITS MOROCCO VATICAN City: Pope Francis is forging ahead with promoting moderate Islam during a weekend trip to Morocco, seeking to build on warming ties with the Sunni world while also ministering to a tiny Catholic community and offering solidarity with migrants. For the 82-year-old Pope, the 27-hour, whirlwind visit to Rabat, the Moroccan capital, will be a welcome reboot to a year that has other wise been dominated by the global Catholic clergy sex abuse scandal and the downfall of three of his cardinals. The trip comes after Francis’ Februar y visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he and the imam of Cairo’s Al Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning, signed a landmark joint statement establishing the relationship between Catholics and Muslims as brothers, with a common mission to promote peace. AP

READY TO EXPLORE

NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch and Nick Hague, members of the International Space Station expedition 59/60, wave to the crowd before the launch onboard of the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft from the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. AFP PHOTO

Taliban kill 9 police African Union calls for in checkpoint assault restraint in Comoros crisis GHAZNI, Afghanistan: Nine Afghan policemen were killed when Taliban fighters stormed their checkpoints and launched a follow-up ambush in the eastern Afghanistan city of Ghazni, officials said Saturday.

The assault began early Friday when the Taliban attacked two adjacent checkpoints, Ghazni police spokesman Ahmad Khan Seerat told AFP. The Taliban then ambushed a group of police rushing to the scene, killing the head of the local police, Seerat added.

In all, nine officers were killed and six were wounded, he said.

The toll was confirmed by Arif Noori, spokesman for the Ghazni governor.

In August, Taliban fighters briefly held the city of Ghazni before they were pushed

out by US air strikes and Afghan forces.

Friday’s attack highlights the ongoing fragility of Afghanistan’s security and the risks faced by local security forces as they man vulnerable checkpoints.

President Ashraf Ghani in January said 45,000 security forces have been killed since he took office in September 2014.

On its Twitter account, the Taliban claimed to have killed 12 “soldiers,� though the group frequently exaggerates numbers.

Meanwhile in Zabul in southern Afghanistan late Friday, Gul Islam Seyal, spokesman for the local governor, told AFP that four police were killed and two wounded after a “Taliban infiltrator� opened fire at a checkpoint.

AFP

ADDIS Ababa: The African Union has called on all sides in Comoros to “show the greatest restraint� amid violence and a political crisis in the wake of disputed elections.

AU commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat said he was “concerned about the deterioration of the political and security climate� on the Indian Ocean archipelago, in statement released late Friday.

Comoros is in the grip of a political crisis following President Azali Assoumani’s victory in March 24 polls, that his opponents say was rigged and led rivals to unite against him.

Mahmat added he “deplores the violence that resulted in loss of life.�

Violence broke out in the Indian Ocean nation after a defeated presidential candidate bidding to unseat the president was arrested.

Comoros has had a volatile political history since independence in 1975 and has endured more than 20 attempted coups, four of which were successful.

Azali initially came to power in a coup, then ruled the country between 1999 and 2006, and was reelected in 2016.

Both observers and community groups have questioned the credibility of the election, which saw Azali declared the winner with almost 61 percent of the vote.

AFP

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World

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

China releases top archaeological findings for 2018 CHINA’S “Oscar Awards� for arCHAEOLOGICAL kNDINGS HAS RELEASED ITS kNAL AWARDING LIST ON &RIDAY in Beijing, catching the attention from scholars, institutions of culTURAL RELICS AND AkCIONADOS Jointly organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Institute of Archaeology and China Cultural Relics News, the award is always considered a platform for displaying the greatest discoveries and achievements in 2018.

The top 10 discoveries range from the Neolithic period to the late Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

Selected from 34 discoveries recommended by local archaeological institutes, the 10 sites come from nine provinces and regions in China, ranging from the far west Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to the South China’s

Guangdong Province.

Among the 10 sites, four of them are from the prehistoric period and revealed valuable information that kLLS IN THE VOID OF CERTAIN REALMS IN prehistoric studies.

The Qingtang Ruins in Yingde County in Guangdong Province WAS THE kRST DISCOVERY RELEASED on Friday, which was believed to be valuable for the study of early Neolithic settlement patterns in south China, as well as early pottery skills and prehistoric cultural exchanges in Southeast Asia.

Discovered in Shayang county, Central China’s Hubei Province, Chenghe Neolithic Ruins supplies the absence of the largescale cemetery in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which also contributes to the Burial rituals’ research of the

early Qujialing cultures (3300 BC-2600 BC).

Founded in the Lushanmao Neolithic Ruins in Yan’an, Shaanxi Province, the large artikCIAL RAMMED EARTH FOUNDATIONS and courtyards could be regarded as the earliest prototype of palace and temple of China.

In the Jartai Pass remains in Nilka County, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, some relics related to copper and iron smelting have been founded, which were considered as precious for exploring handicraft production and east-west exchanges in the Bronze Age of the Yili River basin. Meanwhile, the remains of coal burning pushes back the history of human coal use by about 1,000 years.

Liujiawa Eastern Zhou Ruins, excavated in Shaanxi Province,

contains ruins of the capital city of the late Rui, which was a vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty (770 "# "# kLLING THE VOID OF THE late Rui’s history.

The Taizicheng Ancient City Remains, discovered in the Chongli district of Zhangjiakou, North China’s Hebei Province, is believed to be the largest high-standard city site of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), which is important for the architecture research of the Jin Dynasty.

In east China’s Jiangsu Province, the Huangsipu ruins, the unearthed tiles and porcelain shreds told the story of a once-thriving port. Some scholars believe that a temple discovered at the site was related to the sixth Japan tour of Monk Jianzhen, who has made great contributions to cultural communication be-

Myanmar seizes $29M worth of crystal meth Y ANGON: Myanmar authorities seized more than 1,700 kilograms (3,750 pounds) of crystal meth worth nearly $29 million in a multistate operation this week, the biggest haul of 2019 in a country widely believed to be the world’s largest methamphetamine producer.

High-grade crystal meth — or “ice� — is smuggled out of Myanmar via sophisticated networks to lucrative developed markets as far away as Japan, South Korea and Australia.

Authorities have been nabbing

larger hauls in recent months of ice and lower quality meth pills, known in the region as “yaba,� which experts say are produced in Myanmar’s CONlICT RIDDEN EASTERN 3HAN 3TATE This week’s operation started on March 24 when the Myanmar

Navy stopped a boat with seven people onboard off the coast of Kawthaung Township — the southernmost tip of the country — and found 1,737 kilograms of ice, state-run newspaper Myanmar Alinn reported Saturday. “It’s the biggest seizure this YEAR u AN OFkCIAL FROM THE .Ational Drug Control Department told AFP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

Using information gleaned from a satellite phone, a GPS navigator, and t h r e e

mobile phones found onboard, authorities raided the house of the owner of the drugs in Yangon the next day, arresting his wife and CONkSCATING SEVEN BANK BOOKS A truck driver in eastern Shan state believed to be transporting the drugs overland was arrested the same day, reported Myanmar Alinn, while authorities on Tuesday arrested the boat owner of the seized vessel in western Rakhine state.

But “the drugs owner is on the run now. We are still trying to get him,� said the National Drug #ONTROL $EPARTMENT OFkCIAL AFP

tween China and Japan.

The discovery of the underwater remains of a Zhiyaun warship during the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province was also inspiring. The archaeological TEAM HAS kGURED OUT ITS MATERIALS and installation methods, which provided powerful insights for China’s modern history and the development of the Chinese navy. !CCORDING TO THE JURY THE kNAL selection was special and strict. “We highlighted the site’s contributions to the systematic understanding of Chinese culture, which must include the historical values, academic value AND SCIENTIkC VALUE u 3ONG 8INchao, Deputy Director of State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China, said at the press

conference.

Archaeologist Li Boqian mentioned the educational value of ARCHAEOLOGICAL kNDINGS WHICH HE THOUGHT IS SIGNIkCANT “We tend to select discoveries that have rich cultural content, providing valuable supplement for our history and making people proud‌ in addition to this kind of education, we are also in favor of those that can promote our patriotism education, for example, the underwater remains of the Zhiyuan warship.â€?

The former director of the Institute of Archaeology of CASS, Liu Qingzhu, noted that he is looking for the change of rescue excavation into protection excavation when taking the Lushanmao Neolithic Ruins as an example.

GLOBAL TIMES

UN peacekeepers’ safety a must — envoy HIGH priority should be placed on the safety and security of the United Nations peacekeepers, a Chinese UN envoy said on Thursday.

Speaking at the Triangular Formula Meeting on Training, Capacity Building, Safety and Security, and Performance of UN Peacekeeping, Ma Zhaoxu, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said that their safety and security concerns the result and reputation of peacekeeping operations.

The Chinese envoy also called on the UN Secretariat and missions to provide quality support to peacekeepers, ensure provision of security and medical materials, strengthen early warning and response to emergencies, and improve the ability of tackling complex conditions. “Training should be strengthened throughout the process,� he added.

Noting that sufficient and targeted pre-deployment training and necessary

equipment should be made available to peacekeeping personnel, Ma said that UN missions should also carry out training according to the situations on the ground during deployment.

Ma said that a holistic approach was needed to improve performance of peacekeeping.

The performance assessment system needed to be optimized and the troop contributing countries should be fully involved, he added.

Ma highlighted that China, as a major contributor of troops and funds, firmly supports and actively participates in UN peacekeeping operations. “As we speak, more than 2,500 Chinese peacekeepers are serving in eight missions around the world, undertaking tasks including demining, medical treatment, engineering, transportation and security guard,� he said.

GLOBAL TIMES

Thailand rescues 6 stranded elephants

HARVEST TIME An Indian farmer harvests wheat crop in the village of Ajmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan. AFP PHOTO

Thailand poll body blames software for counting errors BANGKOK: Thailand’s Election Commission said that computer software was partly to blame for inconsistent and delayed vote totals from last Sunday’s general election.

During early reporting of the election results, its tabulation software had trouble handling data entered simultaneously from several points and sometimes displayed incorrect numbers, the commission said in a statement Friday as it faced criticism

AIMING TO FIRE

over lack of transparency. Several political activists said they were starting a petition to impeach the election commissioners.

On Thursday, the commission issued a 208-page compilation of votes in every constituency in response to criticism, but some tallies still failed to add up correctly.

4HE COMMISSION S kGURES SHOW the party supporting the current military junta had the most pop-

ular votes, trailed by its main challenger, the party ousted by the military in a 2014 coup.

The military-backed Palang Pracharath Party supports Prayuth Chanocha to continue as the country’s leader. As army commander, he led the 2014 coup and has since served as prime minister and junta chief.

The main challenger is the Pheu Thai Party, associated with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was

Israeli Merkava battle tanks are currently stationed near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel. The tanks are ready to fire anytime at Gaza targets if tension between Israel and Hamas worsens. AFP PHOTO

ousted by a 2006 coup. Pheu Thai’s candidate for prime minister is Sudarat Keyuraphan, who has charged there were irregularities in Sunday’s vote. On her Facebook page on Friday, she described alleged tampering with ballots.

Pheu Thai announced on Wednesday that it had assembled a coalition of parties that would hold a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. But because an appointed Senate also votes to pick the new prime

minister, a majority in the lower house alone would not put them in power.

The Senate members are indirectly appointed by the ruling junta, and are virtually certain to back Prayuth for prime minister.

Disqualifications and other rulings by the Election Commission ahead of May 9, when it is supposed to formalize the election results, may also affect how the new government is formed. AP

BANGKOK: Six baby elephants separated from their parents and trapped in a muddy pit for days have been rescued by park rangers IN RURAL 4HAILAND OFkCIALS SAID Saturday.

Patrolling rangers chanced upon the struggling herd in a national park east of Bangkok on Wednesday afternoon, park superintendent Prawatsart Chantheap told AFP. Once the rangers realized the calves, aged between one and four years old, could not climb out of the dirty watering hole, some left the forest to bring back digging tools while others stayed overnight to keep watch over the frightened creatures. “Our team arrived with hoes [on Thursday morning]... and we began to dig around the rim [of the mud pit] to make it less steep,� he said.

After three hours of digging to build a makeshift ramp, the mud-covered babies managed to stumble out of the pit one-by-one as the rangers cheered them on. “Go, go, follow each other!� the rangers yelled in a video recorded by the national parks department. “Go, children, go!�

Prawatsart said the rangers had observed a herd of 30 adult elephants nearby and believed the young calves must have been separated from them. “We believe they were stuck there for at least two days because after they got out their legs were weak,� he said.

Wild elephants are Thailand’s national animal and live in the wild in parts of the country, but their numbers have dwindled to about 2,700 from a peak of over 100,000 in 1850.

Deforestation and habitat loss have brought them in closer contact with humans in recent decades, and they often clash with villagers and farmers.

AFP

Sports

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SSUNDAY MARCH 31, 2019 M

www.manilatimes.net

Timberwolves edge Warriors in controversial overtime finish

L

OS ANGELES: Karl-Anthony Towns drained a free throw WITH kVE TENTHS OF A SECOND REMAINING TO SEAL A OVERTIME VICTORY OVER 'OLDEN 3TATE &RIDAY 3ATURDAY IN -ANILA THAT LEFT THE DEFENDING ."! CHAMPION 7ARRIORS FUMING OVER THE OFkCIATING AND THEIR OWN MISCUES

Towns went to the line after Warriors star Kevin Durant was whistled FOR A kFTH FOUL ON AN INBOUNDS PLAY Durant was called for holding Towns near the basket, even though the pass appeared out of reach of both players.

4OWNS MADE THE kRST OF TWO FREE throws and missed the second as time expired.

The defeat left the Warriors neckand-neck atop the Western Conference with the Denver Nuggets, who beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 115-105 to improve to 51-24.

4HE kNAL FOUL ON $URANT WAS just one of the calls that irked the Warriors.

Seconds earlier, Golden State inbounded the ball to Durant who put up a three pointer that dropped through the net as a foul was called.

"UT OFkCIALS WAIVED OFF THE BASKET saying the foul had occurred before Durant got the shot off. “Mind boggling,� said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who thought it should have been a four-point play. “You catch the ball, you go up for a shot, you get fouled -- in any league that’s a good bucket and a free throw.�

But Kerr conceded the Warriors’ Q Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns passes the ball behind his head as Golden State Warriors’ DeMarcus problems started earlier as their Cousins defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday in Minneapolis. AP PHOTO 68-54 halftime lead evaporated in a

PASIG Grindhouse and 1Bataan battle for the lone outright berth to the FIBA World Tour Masters Doha while 10 other teams vie for the P1 million prize in the Chooks to Go Pilipinas 3x3 President’s Cup Grand Finals today at the SM Fairview Events Center in Quezon City.

The Kings and the Risers, who each won two legs of the first-ever national 3x3 basketball league are both eyeing for a spot in the World Tour Masters in Doha, Qatar on April 18 to 19.

The team with the highest number of points collected across all five legs will get the ticket to Doha.

Pasig—composed of Joshua Munzon, Taylor Statham, Troy Rike and Dylan Ababou— is currently leading with 360 points after winning the second fourth legs. The Kings can secure the Masters seat with at least a third-place finish.

The winner of first and third legs Bataan—bannered by Alvin Pasaol, Santi Santillan, Sean Manganti and Anton Asistio—trails behind with 325 points. The Risers need to rule the

Q Rookie-Sophomore’s CJ Perez drives on Junior team’s Kevin Ferrer on Friday during the 2019 PBA All-Star Weekend at the Calasiao Sports Center in Pangasinan. PBA MEDIA BUREAU PHOTO

South beat North,

IN THE kRST All-Star game in 1992 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City. But North bounced back winning eight of the next 11 All-Star games.

Meanwhile, the Rookies and Sopho-

more narrowly beat the Junior team, 141-140, on Friday. Perez was declared MVP after the game.

Rain or Shine’s Beau Belga won the big man obstacles tilt for the second consecutive year while Peter June SiMON OF -AGNOLIA SNARED HIS kRST EVER three-point shootout crown.

Phoenix’s Rey Guevarra won HIS kFTH STRAIGHT SLAM DUNK PLUM

club heads into a must-win Game Two against the seventh-seeded Hong Kong squad on Wednesday at the Southern Stadium.

Alab started the second half with a 14-7 run capped by PJ Ramos’ layup for a huge 58-43 lead but Hong Kong fought back resulting in a seesaw battle down the stretch.

Two-time Local MVP Ray Parks Jr. sank a jumper for an 86-85 Alab advantage with 39 seconds remaining in the game.

Tsz Lai Lau drained a triple

off O’Darien Bassett’s assist and Marcus Elliott converted his free throws to give the Long Lions a 90-86 lead with 13 ticks left.

Renaldo Balkman scored on a layup to reduce the gap, 88-90, then Alab forced a backcourt violation for a chance to win or send the match to overtime.

Parks’ potential game-tying jumper was blocked by Michael (OLYkELD AS TIME EXPIRED Puerto Rican import Balkman led Alab with 30 points,

Irving seals Celtics win In the East, Boston’s Kyrie Irving made THE GO AHEAD LAYUP WITH kVE TENTHS OF a second remaining to give the Celtics a 114-112 victory over Indiana and what could be a key playoff positioning advantage over the Pacers.

4HE TEAMS OCCUPY FOURTH AND kFTH place in the East with matching 4531 records, but Boston gained the upper hand as they took a 2-1 lead in the regular-season series.

The teams will play one more time before the playoffs as the battle for post-season position comes down to the wire.

Pacers forward Thaddeus Young polished off an alley-oop layup to knot the score at 112-112 but missed a layup on the next possession.

Young then came up with a steal, but Boston produced a defensive stop and Irving edged past Wesley Matthews and beat Young on the way to converting the game-winner. “Clearly it wasn’t what we drew up, but it went in,� said Irving, who scored 20 of his 30 points in the second half.

Elsewhere, the playoff-bound Portland Trail Blazers shook off their injury concerns to beat the Hawks AFP 118-98 in Atlanta.

Grand Finals and for Pasig to get eliminated in the quarterfinals to advance to the World Tour.

Pasig and Bataan will be up against the Pasay Voyagers, Go For Gold-San Juan Knights, Valenzuela Classic, Vigan Baluarte Wolves, Cebu-Max4 Birada, Zamboanga Valientes, Marikina Shoemasters, Bulacan Kuyas, Bacoor Strikers and Zark’s-Quezon City Jawbreakers. “We are really excited to see the Agame of our athletes and they promised to bring it during the Grand Finals,â€? said league owner Ronald MascariĂąas.

Meanwhile, Pasig and Bataan were selected to represent the Philippines in the Asia Pacific Super Quest slated April 6 to 7 at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall Events Center in Mandaluyong City. “I’ve never been in a 3x3 tournament that had Philippine teams that are more ready than these two. They’ve shown in our league that they can compete internationally,� said league commissioner Eric Altamirano.

The two Filipino ball clubs will take on other professional teams from South Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and China.

JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

Moustahsane elected interim boxing chief while Guevarra equaled KG #ANALETA S kVE SLAM DUNK TITLES JOSEF T. RAMOS

Hong Kong snuffs Alab Pilipinas in Cebu SAN Miguel Alab Pilipinas suffered an 88-90 loss to Hong Kong Eastern Sports Club in Game One OF THEIR QUARTERkNAL MATCH UP IN Season 9 Asean Basketball League (ABL) on Friday night at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

Defending champion Alab Pilipinas squandered a 15-point lead early in the third quarter as it dropped to a virtual twice-towin disadvantage in the best-ofthree series.

The second-seeded Filipino ball

left to have to get a bucket,� he said. “And end of the game — nobody wants to see a game end like that with a crazy pass that had no chance of being caught and a soft foul that should never have been called to decide the game like that.�

KINGS, RISERS TARGET LONE DOHA TICKET

North collides with South in PBA All-Star weekend NORTH and South teams will battle for supremacy at 6 p.m. tonight in the centerpiece event of the Philippine Basketball Association All-Star Weekend at the Calasiao Sports Complex in Pangasinan.

The North squad from Luzon is under Phoenix coach Louie Alas while the South team from the Visayas and Mindanao will be mentored by Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia.

North is comprised of Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot, Gabe Norwood, Troy Rosario, Calvin Abueva, Japeth Aguilar, LA Tenorio, Paul Lee, Marcio Lassiter, Jason Perkins, Stanley Pringle, Jayson Castro, Chris Banchero, Mark Caguioa plus PBA legends Benjie Paras and Ronnie Magsanoc. “As much as possible, I want to give everybody the same minutes and of course we are the bigger team so we’ll try to get our points inside or dunk the ball. This is for all the fans. This is a good experience for me too,�said Garcia.

3OUTH IS COMPOSED OF kVE TIME Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, Greg Slaughter, Paul Asi Taulava, James Yap, Terrence Romeo and Baser Amer, Scottie Thompson, Mark Barroca, RR Pogoy, Chris Ross, PJ Simon, Jio Jalalon, JP Erram, Mac Belo plus PBA luminaries Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry CodiĂąera.

sluggish, sloppy third quarter.

The Warriors were outscored 32-18 in the period, making just kVE OF SHOTS FROM THE kELD AND committing eight turnovers with zero assists.

They needed a Stephen Curry three-pointer and a free throw by Draymond Green to knot the score at 115-115 and force overtime, and were down 128-119 with 1:41 remaining in the extra session.

Curry, who finished with 37 points, produced three three-pointers in an 11-2 scoring run for the Warriors, knotting the score at 130-130 with eight-tenths of a second left. “We went into halftime with 20 assists, three turnovers, broke the game open late in the second quarter, were rolling along,� Kerr said. “Third quarter was a disaster.

We stopped playing. “I give Minnesota a lot of credit.

They competed, got back in the game. We stepped on our own toes in that quarter. “I’m disappointed with the way we lost control of the game and DISAPPOINTED WITH THE OFkCIATING at the end,� Kerr said.

Minnesota forward Andrew Wiggins scored 24 points to lead eight Timberwolves players in double kGURES *OSH /KOGIE ADDED Curry also acknowledged the Warriors let the game slip in the third quarter, but he couldn’t resist a dig at the late calls he felt “sabotaged� the Warriors’ effort. “KD, four-point play which puts pressure on them with four seconds

13 rebounds and seven assists while countryman Ramos added 17 markers, seven boards and four dimes.

Fil-American guard Caelan Tiongson contributed 13 points while Parks had 10 markers.

American reinforcement Bassett paced Hong Kong with 29 points, seven assists and four rebounds while Elliott and HolykELD CHIPPED IN AND MARKers, respectively.

JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

PARIS: The troubled International Boxing Federation (AIBA) on Friday (Saturday in Manila) selected Mohamed Moustahsane to serve as interim president.

He replaces Gafur Rahimov, a controversial Uzbek businessman who stood down last week under pressure from the International Olympic Committee.

On Friday, the AIBA executive committee voted 23-0, with two abstentions, to appoint Moustahsane, a 40-year-old Moroccan physician who has served as ringside doctor.

He becomes the fourth head of AIBA in 18 months.

The IOC has frozen boxing’s preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Games as it seeks proof that the AIBA has cleaned up its act suf-

kCIENTLY AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF BOUT kXING AT THE 2IO /LYMPICS IN The inquiry also covers AIBA governance and its anti-doping programme.

This week, AIBA admitted it had debts of $16 million.

Russian boxing chief Umar Kremlev, who had put himself forward as a presidential candidate, offered to settle that debt from his own pocket, if AIBA was allowed to remain in charge at the Tokyo Olympics.

The IOC announced Thursday it will deliver its verdict on boxing’s Tokyo fate on May 22.

If the AIBA’s Olympic suspension is maintained the IOC has said it will step in to ensure the AFP sport appears in Tokyo.

D2

Nascar

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

The Sunday Times w w w.manilatimes.net

Q Brad Keselowski, driver of the (No. 2) Reese/ Draw Tite Ford, crosses the finish line to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 24, 2019 in Martinsville, Virginia. AFP PHOTO

NASCAR schedule may not be the overhaul fans sought C

BY JENNA FRYER

HARLOTTE, N.C.: Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway will not be part of next year’s NASCAR schedule, so come to terms with that now.

Fans have a wish list of changes for NASCAR’s stale and stagnant schedule, and they have been led to believe series leadership heard their desires. The highly anticipated 2020 schedule is expected to be announced Tuesday and will show just how seriously the sport’s stakeholders have been listening. A vocal majority has called for more short tracks, more road courses, dirt racing and basically anything new at all to a never-ending 38race schedule.

Steve Phelps became NASCAR’s fourth president last October and A MONTH LATER AT THE SEASON kNALE

vowed nothing was off the table in regards to a scheduling shake-up. “Will we see a lot of the things that have been talked about? More short tracks? More road courses?

Double-headers? Midweek racing?

Pulling the season forward? All those things would be in play,�

Phelps said.

"UT .!3#!2 HAS kVE YEAR AGREEments in place with all its venues that don’t expire until after next season, and that legally prevents the sanctioning body from ripping up the existing schedule and starting from scratch. Those massive changes can’t actually

happen until 2021, when NASCAR reclaims negotiating power on its events. So what will be released for next season is a collaboration involving NASCAR, track operators and the television partners that strikes a balance of freshening up the schedule within the existing rules and regulations of swapping race dates.

Fans may have mixed reactions TO THE kNAL RESULT 4HOSE HOPING for everything under the sun are going to very disappointed because it just can’t happen for next year. Others will likely embrace what is coming as a starting point for eventual sweeping changes.

Yes, Phelps promised changes, but a total and radical implosion just isn’t realistic for next year.

What is likely to be announced

International Speedway Corp.

spent more than $175 million renovating its Phoenix racetrack and will likely showcase the facilITY AS THE SEASON kNALE RATHER THAN the race before the championship ROUND 4HE kNALE HAS BEEN HELD at Homestead-Miami Speedway since 2002, but that race is likely to move elsewhere into the season.

Of the three races in Florida each year, the season-opening Daytona 500 is the only one likely to remain unchanged. The traditional July 4th celebration at Daytona International Speedway could be moved later into the summer, potentially making it the regularseason finale that sews up the PLAYOFF kELD Pocono Raceway is expected to merge both of its Cup races into one packed double-header weekend, and NBC may have argued successfully for back-to-back off weekends moved into a long Au-

NASCAR bids to rebuild the fan base. Teams want a break and a chance to take their own summer vacations, and drivers have been among the loudest in asking for midweek events.

NASCAR’s executives have managed to keep most details of the 2020 schedule quiet, so it isn’t clear if the midweek hope will become a reality. Although the schedule is expected to be comPACTED THERE IS NO CONkRMATION on how that’s going to happen.

But fans are expecting at least one midweek event, if nothing else as a trial balloon to see how it works, and there will be disappointment if NASCAR failed to pull it off.

But we wanted new venues! and a doubleheader with indycar!

gust break that coincides with its coverage of the Tokyo Olympics.

Atlanta needs a different date, if for no other reason than to push the event into a more appealing weather-window, and that will have needed negotiations from Speedway Motorsports Inc. head Marcus Smith, who successfully put a “roval� at Charlotte Motor 3PEEDWAY LAST YEAR THE kRST INnovative change to the schedule in years.

What about midweek races?

This can only happen in 2020 if track operators agreed to host a midweek event, and many have argued that giving up a Sunday date will harm their bottom line because they will lose campers.

But the schedule as is — 38 events from February to November — is far too long and untenable as

IndyCar made its debut Sunday at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and NASCAR fans want to see stock cars on the picturesque road course. They also want the Cup Series to race on dirt at Tony Stewart’s speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, and return to historic Nashville, a 0.596-mile short track that hosted NASCAR from 1958 to 1984.

All of it sounds great, but it can’t be done without other tracks relinquishing their spot on the schedule, and that won’t happen until the sanctioning contracts expire and NASCAR regains its leverage.

It’s not impossible for a doubleheader with IndyCar — and it’s a smart move for the exposure it would bring to both series — but realistically that’s a long-range hope and not something that can be pulled off next year.

There’s zero chance everyone will be happy with the 2020 schedule, perhaps because there’s so much hope for something new and fresh and special and that’s probably a year away. But any changes at all are a victory for fans and a sign of hope that NASCAR is truly listening.

AP

Busch grabs win No. 201 with another Truck Series victory MARTINSVILLE, Va.: Kyle Busch remained undefeated in the Truck Series this season with yet another victory Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.

Busch has won all three Truck Series races he has entered this year, and his latest victory is the 201st national series win of his career. He is off to an unbelievable start to the season with seven wins — including back-to-back victories in the Cup Series — AND HIS LOWEST kNISH IN ANY RACE is sixth.

Busch now has 54 career victories in the Truck Series, but Saturday was just his second win in 10 career starts at Martinsville in the No. 51 Toyota. “It’s cool to win at Martinsville and cool to get to take home a clock,� Busch said of Martinsville’s grandfather clock trophy.

But Busch was then told that his crew chief, Rudy Fugle, wanted the clock to commemorate his kRST -ARTINSVILLE WIN "USCH HAS three previous clocks, two from Cup Series victories.

g4HIS IS HIS kRST WIN HERE AT Martinsville; I’ve won here with two other crew chiefs, I think, so IT S PRETTY COOL TO GET 2UDY HIS kRST win at Martinsville,� Busch said. “Yes, he can have the clock.�

Busch dominated and led 174 of 250 laps but a caution with eight laps remaining set up one last restart. Busch took off with three laps to go and cruised to the win, under caution, because of an ACCIDENT ON THE kNAL LAP "EN 2HODES kNISHED SECOND AND WAS FOLLOWED BY "RETT -OFkTT 2OSS

Chastain and Stewart Friesen.

Rhodes scored his best caREER kNISH AT -ARTINSVILLE AND was grateful to race against Busch, particularly on the kNAL RESTARTS “We got beat by the best in the business,� Rhodes said. “It was fun following him and seeing how he was pacing himself, that’s something I’ve struggled with in the past. Any time you can restart next to that guy, I try to log it in my memory bank so I can get him next time.�

AP

Q Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Cessna Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series TruNorth Global 250 at Martinsville Speedway on March 23, 2019 in Martinsville, Virginia.

AFP PHOTO

Motor Sports Rivera, Anton share Autocross third round top honors The Sunday Times

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BY MIKE POTENCIANO

A

SIAN Gymkhana champions Milo Rivera and Carlos Anton notched the best time records in the recently concluded third round of the Philippine Autocross Championship held at the Acienda Outlet Mall in Silang, Cavite.

However, it was the younger Iùigo Anton who again ruled the Open Class, making it three in a row for a perfect start in THE CURRENT YEAR 4HE YEAR old Baguio student was under pressure the whole day after experiencing mechanical problems anew with his Mark Young Racing’s Honda Civic EF that left him with only two runs

to get the Open Class win.

0ETRON S 2IVERA WAS ONLY competing in his first autocross race for the year and topped the race with a fantastic time of SECONDS 5SING HIS TRUSTY and well-sorted Toyota Starlet, Rivera was the only one that broke the 38-second

SUNDAY MARCH 31, 2019

barrier and stomped his authority anew in the very technical discipline of autocross. “We were blessed and thankful to have a car running perfectly for us to win this third round of the autocross championship,� said a very happy Rivera. “Although we will not be competing the whole season, we still wanted to give it our all and gun for the win.

Thank you to our crew for keeping the car in shape even after a kVE MONTH HIATUS u The veteran Carlos Anton had to settle for second place overall as the second Mark Young Racing Honda CRX suffered from brake master failure after two runs. His time of 38.38 seconds was never beaten except by Rivera.

Q Milo Rivera drives his Toyota Starlet to submit the best time during the third round of the recent Philippine Autocross Championship held at the Acienda Outlet Mall, Silang, Cavite.Â

D3

This created a very tense evening for the Antons as the veteran racers tried to beat their time records.

Trying to take the lead was Milo’s younger brother and regular autocross campaigner, Estefano Rivera. Using his newly built (ONDA %' HATCHBACK %STEFANO MADE A FAST SECOND RUN IN the evening but wasn’t enough to beat Carlos’ time, making him settle for third place. IĂąigo took fourth place overall with a time of SECONDS “I’m so happy that we still won the Open Class in spite of our car having so many problems in this round,â€? said the younger Anton after a long night of waiting on the side with his broken car. “We still got our third straight win in this CLASS AND MY DAD IS IN kRST PLACE and I’m in second for the yearly championship. We hope we can continue this up to the end.â€?

Q Iùigo Anton won the Open Class, making it three wins in a row for this year’s autocross series. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Dovizioso shades Marquez, Rossi return for Argentina tussle Argentina practice TERMAS DE R�O HONDO, Argentina: Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso topped the times after Friday’s hotly contested two practice sesSIONS FOR THE !RGENTINA -OTO'0 with just two tenths of a second COVERING THE kVE FASTEST RIDERS Dovizioso, who has struggled in Argentina, turned up at the circuit in Termas de Rio Honda as the winner of the season-opening race in Qatar.

The 33-year-old Ducati rider, WHO HAS ONLY kNISHED INSIDE THE TOP kVE ONCE IN HIS kVE VISITS TO the circuit, posted a quickest time of 1min 39.181. “The gaps are tight, the time wasn’t as important as starting off CONkDENTLY u SAID $OVIZIOSO “The bike’s better (than last year in Argentina). That’s not to say it’ll be ENOUGH TO kGHT FOR A TOP THREE kNISH u Australian Jack Miller was next best with Maverick Vinales third as Valentino Rossi took sixth on his Yamaha.

Last year Rossi accused Marc Marquez of “destroying the sport� after the champion shoved him off the track.

Marquez placed eighth on the time sheets despite the Honda

rider emerging the quickest after the opening session. “It’s only Friday, the main thing is to be consistent during the race on Sunday,� said the Spaniard. “It’s a demanding track on tyres, we’ll have better grip and will go faster.�

-OTO'0 ROOKIE &ABIO 1UARTARARO built on the good impression he LEFT WITH kFTH IN 1ATAR WHEN HE HAD 2OSSI AND -ARQUEZ BEHIND IN kFTH There are two further practice sessions Saturday ahead of qualifying for Sunday’s race which could be hit by rain.

AFP Practice times 1. Andrea Dovizosio (ITA/Ducati) 1:39.181, 2. Jack Miller (AUS/ $UCATI 0RAMAC AT -AVERICK 6INALES %30 9AMAHA

#AL #RUTCHLOW ,#2 (ONDA

&ABIO 1UARTARARO &2!

9AMAHA 324 6ALENTINO 2OSSI )4! 9AMAHA !LEX 2INS %30 3UZUKI -ARC -ARQUEZ %30 (ONDA

Franco Morbidelli (ITA/YamahaSRT) 0.322, 10. Takaaki Nakagami *0. ,#2 (ONDA

TERMAS DE RĂ?O HONDO, Argentina: Valentino Rossi will resume his bitter feud with Marc Marquez in Argentina on Sunday, one year after he accused the world champion of “destroying the sportâ€? when he was shoved off the track at Termas de Rio Hondo.

Rossi came to grief on his Yamaha at the hands of his longstanding Honda rival in 2018 in a move that resulted in a 30-second penalty for the Spaniard.

Marquez’s attempts to apologize to the seven-time world champion were strenuously rebuffed even if the drama failed to prevent him from eventually going on to secure A kFTH -OTO'0 TITLE “This is a very bad situation, because he destroyed our sport, he doesn’t have any respect for his rivals, ever,� said a furious Rossi, adding he was “scared� to be on the same track as Marquez. “When you go 300kph on the track, you have to have respect, you have to be strong, you have to make the maximum, but doing it like this is over,� he said. “If all the riders race like this, then this is a very dangerous sport AND IT WILL kNISH IN A BAD WAY u

Q Yamaha’s Italian biker Valentino Rossi poses for fans at Termas de Rio Hondo circuit in Santiago del Estero, Argentina on Thursday on the eve of the Argentina Grand Prix. AFP PHOTO Rossi added.

In a rain-affected race in 2018, it was Britain’s Cal Crutchlow who emerged the unlikely winner in Argentina.

Honda rider Crutchlow was

third in the 2019 season-opener in Qatar earlier this month behind Ducati rider and race winner Andrea Dovizioso who edged out second-placed Marquez in a THRILLING kNALE

Marquez has taken pole position at Termas de Rio Hondo on FOUR OCCASIONS SINCE AND claimed two wins.

Rossi was third overall in the championship in 2018 - his 20th season in the elite class - but for THE kRST TIME SINCE HE ENDED a campaign without a race win. “Last year’s race was incredibly tricky, riding on a half-wet, half-dry surface - it was very difficult to ride the bike with slicks over the wet patches,� said Rossi who won in Argentina in FOLLOWED BY TWO SECOND place finishes.

Dovizioso, relieved after his Ducati was cleared of a technical breach in Qatar, has struggled in Argentina.

4HE YEAR OLD HAS ONLY kNISHED INSIDE THE TOP kVE ONCE IN THE kVE VISITS AND THAT WAS FOUR years ago. “We have started the world championship in the best possible way, with the victory in Qatar,�

Dovizioso said. “But the season is long and experience has taught us that cannot let our guard down,�

AFP he added.

Ducati in MotoGP clear after appeal rejected

Q Italy’s biker Andrea Dovizioso rides his Ducati during a MotoGP free practice of the Argentina Grand Prix at Termas de Rio Hondo circuit in Santiago del Estero, Argentina on Saturday. AFP PHOTO

PARIS: 4HE -OTO'0 APPEAL COURT ON Wednesday cleared Ducati to continue using a “swingarm device� they EMPLOYED DURING THE 1ATAR -OTO'0 An appeal was lodged by several -OTO'0 TEAMS AGAINST $UCATI after the team’s rider Andrea Dovizioso of Italy held off a desperate challenge from world champion Marc Marquez to win the season-

opening race for the second year running on Sunday.

A stewards panel dismissed protests by Marquez’s Honda team, as well as Aprilia, KTM and Suzuki over a clamp attached to the rear wheel of the Ducati bikes and afkXED TO THE SWINGARM A subsequent appeal by the teams was referred to the sport’s court of appeal, but it ruled in

favour of Ducati. “The protesting teams considered that the device was primarily an aerodynamic device and therefore NOT COMPLIANT WITH THE -OTO'0 technical regulations. After a hearing, the four protests were rejected,�

THE -OTO'0 COURT OF APPEAL SAID The result of the Qatar race also stand, it added.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domeni-

cali praised the decision, saying on Twitter: “Ducati is proud of its Italian engineering ingenuity and of its ability to innovate. “Many people stated (in the) last weeks that we were cheating... hopefully now they will be silent and try to beat us on the race track.�

The second of 19 races on this year’s calendar is the Argentinian -OTO'0 ON -ARCH AFP

Hamilton blasts ‘crazy’ racism in sport MANAMA: Lewis Hamilton on Thursday said it was “crazy� that racism still exists in sport, as he followed his tweet about the “despicable� treatment suffered by England’s footballers in Montenegro with a plea for stricter action against the scourge.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, the five-time Formula One world champion, who is the only black driver in the sport, made clear that families and people from all walks of life can make a stand against racism. “People just need to stand up to it more,� he told reporters at the Bahrain International Circuit. “It’s not only to (sports) players, it’s crazy to think that in this time in the world it’s still really, really promi-

nent,� he said. “It’s really there all around the world. Racism is still a real issue, which is sad to see.� “I just remember being at school when I was younger and people just got a slap on the hand for it - it’s just kind of let slide. “I don’t think it should happen anywhere. I think action should be taken and people should be a lot stricter with it. I don’t have an answer exactly how it is, but it starts from the parents passing on to kids and then it continues.�

The British driver, who suffered racist abuse in 2008 during a test session in Spain, said he felt Formula One was severely lacking in diversity.

Considering his position as a role model with a large following on social media, the Mercedes driver added: “I

don’t feel like I have a responsibility as such. I definitely feel that I’m in a privileged position that I do happen to have quite an audience, that’s quite a lot of power, particularly with social media.� “There are things I see all the time... there’s a lot of stuff that I don’t post that I want to post. You have to keep it balanced as I have old followers and young followers and choosing what you do show and don’t show, but there’s so many issues around the world today,� he said.

‘Lot of power’ “There are some things I’m able to put on social media that people are able to react to and create conversation and I think many people with the following that I

have and much more have a lot of power in making it a talking point and creating an opinion and, hopefully, steering change,�

Hamilton added.

The 34-year-old Englishman, meanwhile, dismissed suggestions that he had slowed and deliberately held up rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Vettel was reported to have said that Hamilton slowed because he was “probably bored and not happy because he lost the start.�

Hamilton responded by saying: “I’ve never planned to hold anybody up. I was just doing my own race.� “It’s easy to point blame at other people in moments when things don’t work so well, so I’m sure he

Q In this file photo taken on March 16, 2019, Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton drives during the Formula One qualifying session in Melbourne, ahead of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix. AFP PHOTO probably has a different opinion now. It doesn’t really make a difference to me, I just focused on my job,� the Englishman said.

Hamilton, who finished behind Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, said he had suffered from damage to the floor of his car and tire wear.

AFP

Sports PSL tankers won 5 gold medals in Day 2 of Thanyapura meet

D4

The Sunday Times

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

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BY EMIL C. NOGUERA

P

HUKET, Thailand: Masville Elementary School-ParaĂąaque standout Marc Bryan $ULA CHIPPED IN TWO TO THE kVE GOLD medals the Philippines won in the second day of the 2019 Thanyapura International 3WIMMING #HAMPIONSHIP ON 3ATURDAY AT THE 4HANYAPURA 3WIMMING 0OOL HERE

The current Philippine Swimming League (PSL) Male Swimmer of the Year bested taller foes and won two gold medals in the boys’ 11-12 category.

Dula submitted 32.54 seconds to rule the 50m backstroke, beating American bets Lauchlan Parrot of BISP Flying Fish and Cameron Smith of Aqua Panthers, who registered 36.04 and 38.29, respectively. “I am more prepared this year compared last year. My goal is to win as many gold medals as I can to help the team and to win the Most Outstanding Swimmer award in my age-group because I want to give it as a birthday gift to my Tita Sonia (Baltazar) who’s always there to support me,� said Dula, who is revving up for the 2019 Palarong Pambansa sched-

uled next month in Davao City.

Dula then dominated the 100m butterfly in one minute and 9.57 seconds.

He outclassed second placer Chinese Chong Caden of Shanghai American School (1:17.62) and third placer American Michael McLean of Aqua Panthers (1:20.68).

Dula is eyeing to win more gold medals in the 100m backstroke, M BUTTERlY M FREESTYLE M freestyle and 200m Individual Medley events.

Dipolog City pride Mary Maika Montecillo also shone with two gold medals in the girls’ 9-10 division.

Montecillo topped the 50m backstroke in 38.83 seconds for HER kRST GOLD Chinese tanker Isabela Zhang

Q Masville Elementary SchoolParaùaque standout Marc Bryan Dula shows his winning form during the boys’ 11-12 50m backstroke event in the 2019 Thanyapura International Swimming Championship.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

of Shanghai American School PREVENTED A kNISH FOR THE 0HILippines as she secured the silver medal in 39.45 seconds, relegating Diliman Preparatory School tanker Jenn Albreicht Sermonia to third place with 39.96 seconds.

Montecillo won another gold IN THE M BUTTERlY WHILE 3ERMONIA kNISHED SECOND

this time in 1:20.82.

Another DPS swimmer Albert Sermonia 2nd contributed one gold medal to the haul after ruling

THE BOYS M BUTTERlY IN 1:07.25.

It was a good morale booster AFTER HIS SEVENTH PLACE kNISH IN THE 50m backstroke. “We are looking forward to win more medals in the coming events.

It’s just the start of the competition and all of them are excited to compete against taller and older foreign rivals,� said PSL delegation head coach Alex Papa. “They are all extra motivated to perform well for coach Susan Papa.�

Lady Falcons inch to ninth crown EBON-LESS TAMS HISTORY-SEEKING Adamson University ran roughshod over University of Santo Tomas and La Salle, barely went past archrival Ateneo, to move on the threshold of ruling the UAAP softball and baseball tournaments on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial grounds.

The powerhouse title-defending Lady Falcons, who are aiming for a ninestraight title, massacred the Tigresses,

IN AN ABBREVIATED kVE INNING GAME unworthy of being called a championship encounter and moved one more win of sweeping their best-of-three series for the women’s softball plum.

The Green Archers, for their part, who are in quest for their only second baseball jewel, looked to duplicate the Lady Falcons’ feat, dominating the Blue Eagles for eight frames, leading, 9-2, in that span before seeing that bubble nearly melted

BY THE LATTER S kVE RUN SURGE IN THE NINTH The Lady Falcon took control right

when their lead-off batter, third base-,girl Arianne Vallesteros, blasted starting and losing pitcher Ma. Celyn Ojare’ riser to DEEP LEFT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE kRST INNING for a triple that triggered a murderous nine-run attack the Tigresses never threatened the rest of the way.

A base-hit by second base-girl Mary Joy Maguad sent Valleteros crossing the plate, WHILE ANOTHER SINGLE BY LEFTkELDER +RISHA Cantor and a pair of freebies given by Ojare to shortstop Nichole Padasas and kRST BASE GIRL 2EMILE (ERRERO SAW ALL THE BASES kLLED WITH RUNNERS All three — Magud, Padasas and Herrero — scored, prompting UST coach Sandy Barredo to empty his bullpen to no avail as Henna Aireen Santiago and Irene Lumanas proved in no position to stop Adamson’s uprising.

All Adamson coach Ana Santiago fielded next boarded either on connections or base-on-balls with Maguad, batting twice in the period, driving home

two more runs on a three-base hit and centerfielder Ma. Angelu Gabriel, designated player Claisse Lozada and Janette Rusia contributing one each.

Two more runs in the second saw the title-defenders waiting when game ofkCIALS WILL DECLARED THEM WINNERS VIA THE mercy 10-run rule.

The Green Archers led, 9-2, after eight completed frames as starting hurler Luis Ramon Minana appeared taking the measure of the Eagles’ offensive rotation.

But after manning the mound for 6-2/3 innings where he limited the enemies to mere three hits and zero run, he faltered after suffering from leg cramps that led to his relief by Vicente Manuel Barandiaran, who yielded four hits that ignited the Eagle’s three-inning catchup.

Not even the entry of Diego Lozano, who started at right but called to the hill in coach Joseph Orillana’s attempt to quell the rally, succeeded as he proved responsible for surrendering four runs to Ateneo’s cause in his 1/3 inning relief.

Leg cramps must have affected, too, Loznos’ game as well as those of Minana, Barandiaran Ingacio Escano, and James Esparas.

Only the timely substitution OF !RVIN -AYNARD (ERRERA kNALLY put a halt to the rebellion saved La Salle from suffering the same fate its 2018 predecessor experienced.

4HE !RCHERS WERE THE LOSING knalists to now deposed champion Adamson last year.

EDDIE G. ALINEA

RUN OVER UE AN undermanned Far Eastern University (FEU) outlasted University of the East (UE) anew, 2515, 16-25, 12-25, 25-22, 17-15, to earn a share of the second spot in Season 81 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Veterans Jerrili Malabanan and Ivana Agudo delivered in crunch time in the absence of rookie top scorer Lycha Ebon. The win allowed the Lady Tamaraws to join idle De La Salle University and University of Sto. Tomas at No. 2 on a similar 6-3 record.

FEU posted a repeat of their 25-15, 24-26, 25-22, 20-25, 15-9 win over the Lady Warriors in the first round. “We were really looking to our veterans in the endgame. I told them, after the fourth set, it’s not about Lycha. But of course we used her absence as motivation,� said FEU head coach George Pascua. “We don’t want our team to lose just because she was not there. I still believe in my players that they can perform even without one of our scorers,� he added.

The Lady Tams also notched back-to-back five-set victories, with the previous one a 3032, 25-20, 23-25, 25-20, 15-13 wherein Ebon suffered a knee injury.

Agudo tallied a team-high 12 points anchored on 11 attacks while captain Malabanan, Celine Domingo and Heather Anne Guino-o added 11 markers apiece. “I’m happy because we helped each toward the end and also I was able to help my sisters,� said Agudo. “I was inspired by Ivana, the way she stepped

up. We really followed her lead,� said Malabanan.

After forcing a deciding set, Agudo scored four straight points for FEU resulting in the first match point, 14-11.

But UE unleashed a 4-0 blast highlighted by Geline Olarve’s back-to-back aces for a 15-14 lead.

The Lady Tams tied the game on Seth Rodriguez’s net touch before Malabanan broke down the Lady Warriors’ net defense with two unstoppable smashes.

Mary Ann Mendrez led UE with a game-best 22 points on 21 spikes and a block even as Judith Abil had 16 markers and Olarve had 12.

The Lady Warriors fell to No. 6 also occupied by National University with an identical 2-7 slate.

In the men’s division, defending champion National University (NU) escaped finals rival Ateneo De Manila University, 25-19, 25-20, 19-25, 25-27, 15-10, to secure at least a playoff for a Final Four berth .

Bryan Bagunas finished with 25 points built on 24 spikes as the leading Bulldogs moved closer to the semifinals with a ninth straight triumph against a lone defeat.

Chumason Njigha had a team-high 18 markers for the No. 3 Blue Spikers, who slid to 6-4.

Adamson University bounced back at the expense of cellar-dweller University of the Philippines, 25-21, 24-26, 25-20, 32-30.

Paolo Pablico pumped in 31 points on 27 kills, three blocks and an ace, helping the No. 4 Soaring Falcons rebound from a loss to NU and improve to 5-4.

John Mark Millete’s 16 markers went to waste as the Maroon Spikers skidded to 1-8.

JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

Federer schools Shapovalov in Miami Open MIAMI: Roger Federer handed Denis Shapovalov a tennis lesson at the Miami Open on Friday night (Saturday in Manila), winning 6-2 6-4 to move into his SECOND CONSECUTIVE !40 -ASTERS kNAL Federer produced a masterclass at Hard Rock Stadium to leave up-andcoming star Shapovalov, who grew up idolizing the Swiss, chasing shadows DURING A DIFkCULT kRST SET The Canadian enjoyed some better moments towards the end of the second, but it wasn’t enough to dislodge the three-time Miami champion who now has a chance to land his 101st career crown after missing out in Indian Wells where he lost to $OMINIC 4HIEM IN THE kNAL Federer will play John Isner , who LIFTED THE TITLE IN 3UNDAY S kNAL AFTER the American beat Shapovalov’s friend and compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime in STRAIGHT SETS IN &RIDAY S OTHER SEMI kNAL g4HE LONG kRST GAME HELPED ME GET A read on his serve and I came out of the blocks well,� said Federer, the number four seed who hit 30 winners with just eight coming from his opponent’s racket. “I made some minor adjustments and I was happy with my variations.

Q Roger Federer of Switzerland returns a shot to Denis Shapovalov of Canada during the men’s semifinals of the Miami Open presented by Itau at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida. AFP PHOTO I know what to expect when I play John, he’s got an amazing serve so it’s going to be tough for sure. “I’ll just try and get as many balls back as possible. I enjoy it.�

This was Shapovalov’s fifth ATP Tour semi-final and even though the 20 time Slam-winning Swiss was STANDING IN HIS WAY OF A kRST kNAL THE 19 year-old stressed beforehand that

it was a “dream� to take on Federer.

It quickly, however, turned into a nightmare.

The Canadian displayed understandable nerves early on, a struggle with his kRST SERVE PROVING AS MUCH IN A MINUTE opening game which he eventually won.

Yet it didn’t settle him down and when another horribly loose backHAND lEW LONG &EDERER POCKETED A vital early break for 2-1.

Shapovalov hit 14 unforced errors in the opening four games and when the 37-year-old Federer was handed another break after a double-fault, the world No. 23 trudged back to his chair with his head bowed.

The first set was over in just 35 minutes, with Federer winning 88% OF POINTS ON HIS kRST SERVE Shapovalov started the second set confidently, landing his first ace to cement a strong hold and then found himself 15-40 up on Federer’s serve.

But his game was far too loose AND AFTER HE FAILED TO CONVERT A kFTH Shapovalov double fault saw the Swiss break again to put himself on the way TO HIS TH !40 -ASTERS kNAL AFP

Golf

E 1 SUNDAY MARCH 31, 2019

www.manilatimes.net

Tiger, McIlroy book last-16 showdown at WGC Match Play W

ASHINGTON: Three-time tournament winner Tiger Woods rallied to defeat Patrick Cantlay 4&2 on Friday (Saturday in Manila), advancing to an electrifying Saturday knockout match against Rory McIlroy at the WGCMatch Play Championship.

two matches and needed a victory plus a loss by Brandt Snedeker to reach the weekend from his all-American group.

Aaron Wise led after every hole in routing Snedeker 6&4 and Woods took care of the rest with an impresSIVE kGHTBACK SHOWING THE FORM THAT helped him win WGC Match Play titles in 2003, 2004 and 2008.

Woods made bogeys at the par-5 sixth and par-4 eighth to fall 2-down to Cantlay, who gave one back with a bogey at nine before Woods reeled off three birdies and an eagle to win the next four holes -- sinking a 21-foot birdie putt at the par-3 11th and a six-footer at the par-5 12th, then holing out at 13 before making a 20-footer at 14. “Patrick got a bad break at nine. I got a free hole there,� Woods said. “I tried to carry the momentum to the back nine. I made a big putt at 11 and got it rolling from there.�

At 13, he bounced his approach onto the green and saw the crowd erupt as the ball rolled into the cup. “I was just trying to get it up close and next thing you know it falls in,�

Woods said. “I’ll take it.�

McIlroy, the 2015 Match Play winNER GAVE A NOD TO HIS kNAL ROUND DUEL with Woods at last year’s US PGA Tour Championship, where Woods capTiger gets Wise help tured his 80th career US PGA victory AND kRST TRIUMPH IN kVE YEARS WHILE Former world number one Woods, a McIlroy struggled.

TIME MAJOR CHAMPION SPLIT HIS kRST g) JUST HOPE ) PUT UP A BETTER kGHT The 14-time major champion holed out from 82 yards for eagle at the par-4 TH IN HIS kGHTBACK TO BOOK HIS DUEL with McIlroy, who beat England’s -ATTHEW &ITZPATRICK TO kNISH AN unbeaten group run. “It’s exciting for the tournament.

I’m sure it’s going to be exciting for us,� McIlroy said. “I feel good about my game. I’m going to stick with my game plan and not look at him until I have to near the end.�

A showdown of the world’s 64 top-ranked golfers at Austin (Texas) Country Club featured three days of group matches to decide 16 players for weekend knockout matches that will determine a champion.

Woods, seeded 13th, will meet fourthseeded McIlroy of Northern Ireland in the round of 16 on Saturday morning.

They have never met in match play. “I’ll be ready,� Woods said.

Four-time major winner McIlroy, who could complete a Career Grand Slam at the Masters in two weeks, has never trailed in any match and dropped only three holes this week. “I got up early and played some good golf on the front nine,� McIlroy said. “I got scrappy toward the end but I’m through and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.�

Q Tiger Woods of the United States plays his shot from the eighth tee in his match against Patrick Cantlay of the United States during the third round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club on Saturday in Austin, Texas.

than I did in Atlanta last year,� McIlroy said.

The highest seed advancing was world number two Justin Rose of England, who edged US 22nd seed Gary Woodland 1-up to win his group. He next plays US 57th seed Kevin Na, the lowest seed in the last 16.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, seeded TH WON THREE OF THE kRST FOUR HOLES and never trailed in beating US 52nd seed Jim Furyk, advancing to face Danish 50th seed Lucas Bjerregaard in the round of 16.

Li, Grace, Leishman advance China’s Li Haotong missed a sevenfoot birdie putt at 18 and halved with England’s 60th-seeded Tom Lewis, but put his approach to two feet on the kRST PLAYOFF HOLE TO BEAT 3WEDEN S !LEX Noren for a knockout berth. “The whole day was like a roller coaster,� Li said. “On the last hole I was a little bit nervous and didn’t get enough break (on the putt) but I just played good on the next hole.�

Alongside McIlroy and Stenson at 3-0 were Australia’s 17th-seeded Marc Leishman, who booked a last-16 date with South African 19th seed Louis Oosthuizen, and South African 40th seed Branden Grace, who will play Spanish 26th seed Sergio Garcia.

Italian seventh seed Francesco Molinari beat US 21st seed Webb 3IMPSON TO kNISH AND WILL play English 10th seed Paul Casey for A QUARTER kNAL BERTH AFP

Q Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland putts on the 15th green in his match against Matthew Fitzpatrick of England during the third round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club in Austin, Texas. AFP PHOTOS

JUVIC CRUISES TO 7-SHOT RIVIERA ROMP Injured Tabuena pulls out of Solaire PH Open

JUVIC Pagunsan turned what was expected to be a fierce final round duel with fellow Japan PGA Tour campaigner Angelo Que into a victory walk, cutting loose with an early rash of birdies and cruising to a whopping seven-shot romp in the ICTSI Riviera Golf Challenge at the Langer course in Silang, Cavite.

Not even a rare three-shot swing on No. 14 could rattle Pagunsan, who surged ahead by four after 54 holes behind a 66 Friday then hiked his lead to seven with a three-birdie binge in the first 10 holes yesterday. But Que birdied the par-4 14th, which Pagunsan double bogeyed on an errant drive, to cut the lead back to four, only to yield the same number of strokes on the par-5 16th on a reverse double bogey-birdie swing.

That paved the way for Pagunsan’s unhampered march to a championship in his first Philippine Golf Tour Asia event as Asia’s former No. 1 closed out with an even par 71 for a 72-hole total of six-under 278. “I played solid at the front. Though I wavered at the finish, I kept my cool knowing I’ve got a huge lead,� said Pagunsan,� who received the top purse of $17,500 from organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. executive director Narlene Soriano during awards rites of the penultimate leg of the 10-stage second season of the region’s newest circuit put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. The victory, whom he shared with wife Maria Elena, daughter LJ and son PJ, was his second since marking his return to the local circuit with a playoff victory over Jobim Carlos in PGT Bacolod last August. More importantly, it primed the smooth-swinging shotmaker up for next week’s Solaire Philippine Open at

Q Juvic Pagunsan celebrates his breakthrough PGT Asia victory with son PJ and daughter LJ. PHOTO BY ROGER RAĂ‘ADA The Country Club. “It’s a big boost heading to the Phl Open,â€? added Pagunsan.

Que failed to match Pagunsan’s hot start, falling by as many seven

with a double bogey on No. 9. But his birdie, coupled with Pagunsan’s 6 on No. 14, sparked some hopes for a big comeback by the powerhitting former Phl Open champion.

But that never came as Que dropped two strokes on No. 15 which Pagunsan birdied in a strange twist of fate in pursuit of the crown. Que wound up with a 73 instead but still took runner-up honors with a 285 worth $11,500 while reigning Phl Masters champion Jerson Balasabas matched par 71 in another scorching day and secured third place at 288 and the $7,000 prize. “It’s really tough chasing Juvic when he’s in the lead. He’s so good,� said Que of his fellow former national team mainstay.

Lexus Keoninh of the US emerged as the top foreign placer, finishing tied at fourth at 289 with veteran local campaigner Elmer Salvador with identical 72s while Jay Bayron shot a 70 to snare solo sixth at 290.

Pro-am winner Nilo Salahog struck back with a 69 on two birdies in the last four to share seventh place with Matt Killen of England (71), Thai Sutijet Kooratanapisan (73) and Rico Depilo (74) at 291 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Empire Golf and Sports and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc. Pagunsan all but settled the issue with birdies on Nos. 2 and 8, going seven-up after nine holes as Que holed out with a double bogey on No. 9 after a birdie on the sixth.

They matched birdies on No. 10 and bogeys on the long par-3 12th but Que sparked some hopes of a big comeback with a birdie on the 14th against Pagunsan’s 6.

But Pagunsan shrugged off the threat with a birdie on the 16th and Que cracked trying to match his rival’s feat on the par-5 hole, ending up with a seven instead.

A BACK injury forced Miguel Tabuena to withdraw from the Solaire Philippine Open, leaving the country’s premier championship without one of its top draws when it holds its 101st staging on April 3-6 at The Country Club in Laguna.

Tabuena hurt his back while playing in the pro-am of the Maybank Championship in Malaysia LAST WEEK (E DID PLAY IN THE kRST round of the $3 million event but withdrew after shooting a 79.

After several sessions with the European Tour physiotherapists in Kuala Lumpur, he still flew to India to compete in the Hero Indian Open this week, hoping it would heal after a week-long rest.

But he decided to pull out in the $1.75 million tournament so as not to aggravate the injury. “It’s sad to have to withdraw from defending the Solaire Philippine Open crown. I hurt my back in KL right before the Maybank Championship. From there, I lEW TO )NDIA HOPING ) COULD PLAY the Hero Indian Open but was advised against it by the tour’s physios,� said Tabuena, who, however, added that would still show up in the Phl Open but as a spectator and not a competitor. “I hope to be back and healthy soon. Best of luck to all the players in the SPO at the TCC next week,� he said.

Tabuena nipped Thai veteran Prom Meesawat in sudden death

at the TCC to clinch his second 0HL /PEN CROWN IN kVE YEARS (E WOULD VE VIED TO BECOME THE kRST repeat winner of the fabled event in 60 years. “While we regret his withdrawal from the Solaire Phl Open, we are also after his health and we fully support his decision to take A REST TO GIVE HIS INJURY SUFkCIENT time to heal ,� said Colo Ventosa, general manager of the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. Despite his absence, the SPO cast remains as talent-laden as ever with Asia’s former No. 1 Juvic Pagunsan and fellow Japan PGA Tour campaigner Angelo Que headlining the local challenge against a slew of foreign aces in the $500,000 championship sponsored by Solaire Resort & Casino.

They include Thais Wisut Artjanawat, Sutijet Kooratanapisan, Poosit Supupramai and Pasavee Lertvilai, who are all going all OUT TO NAIL THEIR kRST 0HL /PEN title; Philippine Golf Tour Asia leg winners Damien Jordan and David Gleeson, spearheads of the Aussies’ drive for their 10th Open jewel; and Americans Sam Gillis, Lexus Keoninh, Brett Munson, Cory Oride and PGT leg titlist Nicholas Paez, who are shooting for their 27th Open crown in the event sanctioned by the National Golf Association of the Philippines headed by president Martin Lorenzo and backed by Pin High golf apparel.

E2

Golf

The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY March 31, 2019

Q Tiger Woods plays a shot from a bunker on the 16th hole during a practice round at the Dell Match Play Championship golf tournament, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Austin, Texas.

AP PHOTO

Woods faces new format, same philosophy at Match Play A

BY DOUG FERGUSON

USTIN, Texas: The Dell Technologies Match Play has changed golf courses twice and the format once since the last time Tiger Woods played.

He still remembers what it takes to succeed. “Still got to win matches and move on,� Woods said.

The opponent doesn’t really matter, as is the case with the rest of THE kELD THAT BEGINS GROUP PLAY ON Wednesday at Austin Country Club.

Dustin Johnson is the No. 1 seed for the third straight year and could only name two of the other three players in his group. Paul Casey had to look at a sheet of paper to remember who he faced in the opening round.

It’s not a sign of disrespect as much as knowing this format is SO kCKLE ‡ HOLES OF MATCH PLAY

‡ AND THE kELD IN GOLF IS SO DEEP among the top 64 players available from the world ranking that there are no guarantees.

Johnson recalls falling into that trap of looking ahead. “I’ve made that mistake of not thinking somebody was going to be a problem, and lost a couple of times, actually,� he said.

Same player?

Johnson smiled before adding, “Maybe.�

Maybe he was talking about Mark Wilson, a short hitter who took down Johnson in consecutive years on the big-hitters course of

Dove Mountain in Arizona. Either way, he knows the drill to emerging as the winner from each of the 16 groups to advance to the knockout stage on the weekend. “It doesn’t matter what your rank is. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing,� Johnson said. “If you don’t go out and play well that day, you’re probably going to lose. It’s pretty simple. So I don’t underestimate anyone I’m playing.

I’ve learned that lesson.�

Woods lost to Charles Howell IN THE kRST ROUND IN THE LAST time he played.

First up for the only three-time winner of this World Golf Championship is Aaron Wise, a former NCAA champion and the PGA Tour rookie of the year who won HIS kRST TOUR TITLE IN $ALLAS LAST YEAR It’s easy to look ahead at possibilities, and for Woods to advance out of group play, there’s a chance he would face Rory

McIlroy when the knockout STAGE STARTS -C)LROY kRST PLAYS Matt Fitzpatrick, who outplayed him in the final group at Bay Hill three weeks ago (both were beaten by Francesco Molinari).

McIlroy won the Match Play WHEN IT kRST WENT TO GROUP PLAY IN AT (ARDING 0ARK *OHNSON won at Austin Country Club two years ago in a performance so dominant that he never trailed at any point in the seven matches he won.

Woods created his aura by winNING TIMES ON THE 0'! 4OUR

most recently at the Tour Championship to end last season and cap off a remarkable comeback from four back surgeries. He also had a reputation for being particularly tough in match play.

(IS RECORD IS MINUS EXHIBITIONS AND THAT INCLUDES IN THIS EVENT !ND IT WAS CLEAR after playing nine holes of practice

Monday and Tuesday that he was ready to get started.

His only experience in the format since his last Match Play APPEARANCE WAS AT THE 0RESIdents Cup (he beat Richard Sterne) AND THE 2YDER #UP HE LOST to Jon Rahm). “That was the singles, one-onone,� Woods said. “I really haven’t played a whole lot of match play SINCE AND ) M LOOKING FORward to it. I’m looking forward to the fact that I just get to focus on one guy. Each and every shot is different, and you don’t really care WHAT THE REST OF THE kELD IS DOING ) just have to beat the guy standing in front of me.�

Johnson, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka and McIlroy are the top seeds, all with a chance to be No. 1 in the world by the end of the week, along with Justin Thomas .O Home-course advantage should

Last few Masters spots on the line at Match Play

BY DOUG FERGUSON AUSTIN, Texas: For players trying to get into the top 50 for a Masters invitation, it was critical to get into the 64-man field at the Dell Technologies Match Play with big ranking points available in the final week to be eligible through the world ranking.

Trouble is, everyone from the top 66 — Adam Scott and Rickie Fowler are skipping — also is at Austin Country Club.

Eleven players in the field have yet to qualify for the Masters, and what’s required of them at Match Play depends on their ranking. Russell Knox, Lee Westwood, Tom Lewis and Luke List likely will have to advance to Sunday’s semifinals to break into the top 50.

Abraham Ancer and Chez Reavie likely would have to reach the quarterfinals, where players are assured a four-way tie for fifth.

Going into the week, the only current players in the top 50 not already eligible for the Masters are Shane Lowry (No. 48) and Justin Harding (No. 49). They might not have to advance from their groups to secure their positions, but winning or halving matches wouldn’t hurt.

Others who are poised to make a move include Byeong Hun An, Andrew Putnam and Jim Furyk, who didn’t even have the Masters in mind until his runner-up finish at The Players Championship moved him up more than 100 spots and into the Match Play field.

Harding and List are in the same group, while Lowry and Putnam also are in the same group.

Meanwhile, Sungjae Im closed with a 70 at Innisbrook last week and moved into a tie for fourth. That moved him up 13 spots to No. 59. Im is at the PGA Tour event in the Dominican Republic this week, which offers a minimum 24 points to the winner even with a weak field. He has a mathematical chance of getting into the top 50.

No one at the Hero Indian Open on the European Tour can get into the top 50.

No matter how it unfolds, Augusta National is assured of another small field, which is what the Masters wants to create the best experience for its guests. The field last year was 87, the smallest since 1997.

Currently, there are 84 players who have qualified and are expected to play.

International run European-born players are on quite a run, with Paul Casey (England), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and Francesco Molinari (Italy) winning the past three weeks on the PGA Tour. It’s the longest such streak since either 2012 or 2010, depending on context.

It was in 2010 that Justin Rose (England) at the Memorial, Lee Westwood (England) at the St. Jude Classic and

all have a chance to leave Texas at No. 1 in the world.

Dustin Johnson lost a chance to expand his lead at No. 1 last week when he played birdie-free for a 74 to tie for sixth. Rose, who had the No. 1 for two months before Johnson took over, remains at No. 2.

They are followed by Brooks Koepka, McIlroy and Justin Thomas.

All of them have reached No. 1 before, but it might be the most meaningful this time around for McIlroy. He has spent 95 weeks at No. 1, but not since Sept. 14, 2015.

Then again, Thomas might not agree. “I didn’t think getting to No. 1 in the world would mean as much to me until the fact I haven’t had it in a while,� said Thomas, who was last at the top of the ranking in early June last year. “It bothers me. It gets under my skin more than I thought it would now that I had it. You know everyone in the world isn’t as good as you, and it’s a cool feeling.�

GOLF NOTES Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach won in successive weeks.

Fast forward to 2012, and McIlroy won the Honda Classic, Rose won at Doral and Luke Donald (England) won the Valspar Championship. However, George McNeill won in the Puerto Rico Open a few hours before Rose won his first World Golf Championship at Doral. The three Europeanborn players in the field at Puerto Rico that year included Henrik Stenson, who was just starting to come out of a slump and was at No. 221 in the world.

It’s not just Europeans who have had big runs. In 2014, there was a streak of six consecutive tournaments won by nonAmericans — three by McIlroy (including two majors), the others by Tim Clark of South Africa, Geoff Ogilvy of Australia and Camilo Villegas of Colombia.

The battle for no. 1 The top five players in the world ranking

Big easy milestone Ernie Els made his debut in the world ranking in 1989 when he finished fourth in the South African Open at age 19.

That was his first top 10 worldwide, and the Big Easy hit a big milestone last week in the Maybank Championship in Malaysia when he tied for seventh. It was the 300th time in his 792 worldwide starts that he finished among the top 10 in tournaments that award world ranking points.

No other player has competed around the globe like Els from his generation.

Q Jim Furyk hits from the bunker on the first hole during the final round of the Valspar Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 24, 2019, in Palm Harbor, Fla. AP PHOTO

Tiger Woods has 231 top 10s in 399 worldwide starts, a rate of 58 percent.

Els has a 38 percent rate of top 10s in tournaments around the world, but only 27 percent on the PGA Tour (compared with 54 percent in non-PGA Tour events).

Equipment malfunction Steve Stricker isn’t one to fix something that isn’t broken, including his putter.

Until that broke.

Stricker has used the same Odyssey putter for 17 years. But when he noticed the shaft slightly bent from years of practice and play, he took it to the equipment

player to swap out the shaft. That’s when they noticed another problem. “The face was caved in,� he said.

He was told to run a credit card across the face insert to check, and sure enough, there was an indentation.

The end of an era? Not quite. Stricker had a backup made with the same specifications, only to learn that he could have a new face insert. He got that back in time for the Valspar Championship, though it wasn’t the happiest of reunions. He missed the cut by one shot with rounds of 73-71. “It wasn’t the putter,� Stricker said. “It was the puttee.�

fall to Jordan Spieth from his three semesters playing for the Texas Longhorns, who used to be invited to play the course. That hasn’t helped Spieth much the last three TIMES (E WON HIS GROUP IN before losing in the Round of 16.

The last two years, he was eliminated in group play by Hideto Tanihara and Patrick Reed.

More of the focus now is on his game. Spieth has missed two cuts AND kNISHED NO BETTER THAN A TIE FOR TH IN HIS OTHER FOUR STARTS THIS year. But this week, it’s not about posting a score. It’s about winning matches with whatever score it takes on each hole. “I feel good about my game right now,� Spieth said. “I got off to a bad start at The Players, but it’s been progressing nicely.

Match play provides freedom to feel less protective swings and more trust if you are working on something.�

AP

Divots Puggy Blackmon is retiring after 35 years as a college golf coach, primarily at Georgia Tech and South Carolina.

Among his players at Georgia Tech was David Duval, who reached No. 1 in the world. ... The USGA appointed Jason Gore as its first senior director of player relations. ... The Australian PGA Championship is moving until after the Presidents Cup, capping off three straight weeks Down Under following the Australian Open and a Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne featuring Tiger Woods and Ernie Els as captains. The Australian PGA now will be played on Dec. 19-22. ... Nelly Korda is now the highest-ranked American in the women’s world ranking at No. 6. ... Pratima Sherpa, the 19-year-old from Nepal who was featured on ESPN, plays her first professional event in America this week on the Symetra Tour in Beaumont, California. ...

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Lee Westwood are the only players in the Match Play field who were part of the inaugural event in 1999 at La Costa.

Stat of the week European-born players have won more times on the PGA Tour (4) than on the European Tour (3) this year.

Final word “It doesn’t matter what your rank is. It doesn’t matter how you’re playing. If you don’t play well that day, you’re probably going to lose. It’s pretty simple.� — AP Dustin Johnson on match play.

PAGE FROM THE PAST

Today, we look back at an old front page of The Manila Times, the oldest national daily that was founded on October 11, 1898. (Note: This image was adjusted to fit the page.)

E4

Golf

FOR announcements on tournaments, rankings and other golf-related events, email the sports editor at pgs_mallari@manilatimes.net es net

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

˜ The Sunday Times

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Q Participants of the inaugural Ayala Land Premier Golf Invitational pose for a photo after the tournament. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Lady golfer Co shines in 1st Ayala Premier Invitational tournament

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Aidric Chan

2nd Cobra-Puma Scramble Golf 14th Pomelo Tee Tournament opens June 19 rolls off May 1 in Davao City 4(% TH 0OMELO 4EE WILL kRE OFF ON -AY TO AT THE 2ANCHO 0ALOS 6ERDES 'OLF AND #OUNTRY #LUB IN -ANDUG )NDANGAN "UHANGIN

$AVAO #ITY 4HE FOUR DAY ANNUAL MEMBER GUEST TOURNAMENT IS EXPECTED TO DRAW MORE THAN ENTRIES 4HE EVENT AIMS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE CHARITABLE PROJECTS OF THE 0OMELO 4EE &OUNDATION )NCORporated among them college SCHOLARSHIP FOR SELECTED WORKERS AND CADDIES DEPENDENT 0ART OF THE PROCEEDS WILL ALSO BE USED TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL EQUIPMENT and other learning materials to -ANDUG (IGH 3CHOOL AND )NDANGAN (IGH 3CHOOL %NTRY FEE IS 0

INCLUSIVE OF TWO DAY ONE MULLIGAN PER NINE HOLES 4HE TOURNAMENT S TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES WILL FOLLOW A HOLE STROKE PLAY UNDER THE MODIkED 3TABLEFORD SCORING SYSTEM &OR REGISTRATION CONTACT 2ANCHO 0ALOS AT

OR

4(% ND #OBRA 0UMA 3CRAMBLE 'OLF 4OURNAMENT WILL TEE OFF ON *UNE AT THE "EVERLY 0LACE 'OLF AND #OUNTRY #LUB IN -EXICO

0AMPANGA 4HE TOURNAMENT WILL ONLY ALLOW TO COMPETE THE kRST TEAMS TO REGISTER %NTRY FEE IS 0 PER TWO MAN TEAM

4EAM COMPOSITION WILL BE A TWO MAN PLAY WHICH CAN EITHER BE MALE MALE FEMALE FEMALE OR MALE FEMALE 4 H E M I N I M U M C O M B I N E D HANDICAP IS AND THE MAXIMUM IS BASED ON THE *UNE UNIFIED NATIONAL HANDICAPPING SYSTEM

2EGISTERED PLAYERS CAN ENJOY A SPECIAL RATE OF 0 PER PRACTICE ROUND FOR ONE MONTH !N ALL EXPENSE PAID TRIP TO *OHOR "ARU -ALAYSIA AND A CHANCE TO COMPETE IN THE #OBRA 0UMA 2EGIONAL 'OLF 4OURNAMENT AWAITS the low gross and low net team CHAMPIONS

Me Cup tourney takes off April 8 in Antipolo 4(% &OREST (ILLS 'OLF AND #OUNTRY #LUB IN !NTIPOLO #ITY WILL HOST THE -E #UP ON !PRIL 4HE MEMBER EMPLOYEE GOLF TOURNAMENT WILL FOLLOW A THREE PERSON SCRAMBLE FORMAT MEM-

BER EMPLOYEE AND THE CADDIE 2EGISTRATION BEGINS AT A M FOLLOWED BY THE SHOTGUN TEE OFF AT A M AT THE !OKI #OURSE %NTRY FEE FOR MEMBERS AND

GUESTS IS 0 AND 0 FOR EMPLOYEES CADDIES 3ECURITY 0-3 0AR AND 'OLFORCE MEMBERS &OR REGISTRATION EMAIL FRONTDESK FORESTHILLS GOLF COM

MVPSF Visayas Regional Golf meet begins April 8 THE 4th MVPSF Visayas Regional Golf Championship will unfold on April 8 to 12 at the Cebu Country Club in Banilad, Cebu City.

The golf tournament, organized by the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP), will start with a two-day stroke play qualifying tournament from April 8 to 9.

Only the top 16 male and female golfers will advance to the match

play competition. In the event of ties, the first and last qualifying slots for all categories will be resolved by sudden death playoff.

Men’s player with a certified handicap index of 9.7 below and lady amateur players with 10-handicap below will be accepted to play.

Entry fee for local participants is P3,000 while P4,000 and P1,5000 for foreign players and club members,

respectively.

The entry fee will cover the green fee, one practice round and lunch during the awarding ceremony.

Deadline for entries is on April 5.

For registration, call the NGAP office at (02)706-5926 or email at ngap2009handicap@yahoo.com.

Players may also register at the Cebu Country Club by calling (032) 2310345 local 146.

5th Alta Vista Corporate Cup opens April 28 4(% TH !LTA 6ISTA #ORPORATE #UP WILL KICK OFF ON !PRIL AT THE !LTA 6ISTA 'OLF AND #OUNTRY #LUB IN #EBU #ITY 4HE FOUR MAN TEAM EVENT REQUIRES THAT AT LEAST ONE PLAYER OF EACH TEAM BE AN ELIGIBLE CLUB MEMBER 4HE HOLE TOURNEY WILL USE A BEST BALL FORMAT WHEREIN TEAM MEMBERS PLAY THEIR OWN BALL ON EVERY HOLE WITH THE TWO BEST SCORES COUNTING FOR THE HOLE #LASSES ! " AND # WILL EM-

PLOY A MODIkED STABLEFORD SCORING SYSTEM %NTRY FEE PER TEAM IS 0

AND CANCELLATION WITHOUT PENALTY WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL !PRIL (OLE IN ONE PRIZES FOR ALL PAR HOLES ARE 0 CASH AND A 3KYGO MOTORCYCLE 4HERE WILL ALSO BE SPECIAL PRIZES FOR NEAREST TO THE PIN

MOST ACCURATE DRIVE AND LONGEST PUTT FEATS &OR DETAILS EMAIL AT GOLFREGISTRATION ALTAVISTAGOLFCEBU COM OR CALL

The Sunday Times

Inspiration.

Celebrity.

Style.

March 31, 2019 Volume 118 | No. 85

FORMER PRESIDENT AND INCUMBENT MANILA CITY MAYOR

JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA

Erap gears up for ‘last hurrah’ in politics •

LITERARY LIFE

FILIPINO CHAMPIONS

ARTS AWAKE

Govt agencies mark Lit Month with workshops, contests ests F2

An inspiring story of a nanny-turned-CEO CEO F3

‘Father’s Day’ and the ups and downs of family life F7

Literary Life SUNDAY March 31, 2019

F2

Govt agencies mark Lit Month with workshops, contests, talks

BY CATHERINE A. MODESTO

T

HE government’s arts, language and publishing agencies are set to hold contests and workshops, festivals and lectures, and honor a number of authors and artists this year as part of activities celebrating April as National Literature Month.

In a press conference at its main ofkCE IN )NTRAMUROS -ANILA LAST WEEK

the National Commission for Culture AND THE !RTS .##! SAID THIS YEAR S celebrations would have as its theme “Buklugan Panitikan,� derived from the buklog, a community-bonding and thanksgiving ritual of the Subanen indigenous community in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

According to Anna Katarina Rodriguez, director general of the Komisyon SA 7IKANG &ILIPINO +7& OR THE &ILIPINO ,ANGUAGE #OMMISSION THE AGENCIES involved in the month-long celebration hope to accomplish the activities it had lined up in the spirit of that rite. &IRST OF THESE IS A LITERARY CAMP TO BE held at the Orion Elementary School in Bataan province’s Orion municipality FROM !PRIL TO TO HONOR &ILIPINO poet laureate and &LORANTE AT ,AURA AUTHOR &RANCISCO "ALAGTAS WHO HAD lived and died in the town and whose 231st birth anniversary falls on the EVENT S kRST DAY About 200 student-writers from all over the country are expected to attend THE +7& ORGANIZED CAMP ON WRITING poems, short stories and essays, to be led by National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario, also the chairman OF BOTH THE .##! AND +7& &OR ITS PART THE #EBUANO 3TUDIES Center and National Committee on Literary Arts of the University of San #ARLOS 53# IN #EBU #ITY WILL HOLD in the Wrocklage Yard of the school’s downtown campus the “Joy to the 7ORLDu FESTIVAL FROM !PRIL TO During this event, the public can get to interact with and watch performances from famed Cebuano writers, and attend book fairs and photo exhibits set up by various writers’ groups there.

The USC-Cebuano Studies Center WILL ALSO HOLD IN THE CAMPUS &R !LBERT

Van Gansenwinkel Hall on the morning of April 11 a talk on the works of the late Tagalog novelist and National !RTIST FOR ,ITERATURE ,AZARO &RANCISCO Later in the day, a similar talk on the works of the late Ilonggo novelist and National Artist for Literature Ramon Muzones will be held, but at Leong Hall of the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.

The NCCA said these talks, called g#EBU 2EADS ,AZARO &RANCISCOu AND “Manila Reads Ramon Muzones,� were being held to “encourage the youth to RETURN AND READw&ILIPINO WRITERS IN the different [local] languages and to FOSTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE &ILIPINO sense of identity.� &ROM !PRIL TO THE +7& WILL HOLD its annual laji writing ang singing competition for students in Batanes province.

Called “Timpalak Hornedo,� it is named AFTER THE LATE HISTORIAN AND SCHOLAR &LOrentino Hornedo, who had researched and written on the indigenous oral poetry of the province’s Ivatan people. /N !PRIL THE AGENCY WILL PAY homage to writer and revolutionary Emilio Jacinto with “Peregrinasyong Jacinto,� a literary pilgrimage to Magdalena town, Laguna province, where the top Katipunan general died from malaria. A performance by Teatro Pingkian, the town’s resident theater group, and a forum on his life spearheaded by historian and Manila Times columnist Michael Charleston Xiao Chia are part of the event.

Social-media activities The National Book Development "OARD ."$" IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE celebration by organizing activities on social media to encourage people, especially young ones, to read and apPRECIATE BOOKS AUTHORED BY &ILIPINOS and educate them on the importance

Q (From left) Merdeka Morales of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Debbie Nieto of the National Book Development Board, Anna Katarina Rodriguez of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino and Michael Coroza of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas pose for photos at the conclusion of the ‘Buklugan Panitikan: Buwan ng Panitikan 2019’ press conference at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ main office in Intramuros, Manila on March 26, 2019. PHOTO BY ALVIN I. DACANAY of intellectual property. ."$" 0ROJECT $EVELOPMENT /FkCER Debbie Nieto said during the conference that she hoped these events would “spark a long discourse on literature and the book industry.�

These include “Readership Survey AND "OOK &AST &ACTS u IN WHICH THE 2017 poll results on readership and book trivias would be shared on its website and social-media accounts beginning on April 4 at 3 p.m.; and “Book Stop Map,� in which the NBDB would post an illustrated map of independent bookstores and book museums in the country starting on April 4 at 7 p.m.

The agency will also launch on April 8 at 3 p.m. the “Share-A-Book Challenge,� a contest in which participants would share a photo of and a favorite QUOTE FROM A BOOK ON )NSTRAGRAM WITH the winner getting book vouchers from the NBDB; and at 7 p.m. a video blog competition, in which participants must upload on YouTube a video showing them discussing a book of their choice, and sharing it on their social media accounts. The vlogger with the most views will also win book vouchers.

The month-long celebration will close

with the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa 0ILIPINAS 5MPIL OR 0HILIPPINE 7RITERS 5NION HOLDING ITS TH .ATIONAL 7RITERS Congress at the Silangan Hall of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on April 29.

This year’s congress will have “Panitikan, 'ALING AND 'INHAWAu ,ITERATURE (EALING AND 7ELLNESS AS ITS THEME During the event, the latest recipients of the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas for lifetime achievement — among them Grace Chong for children’s literature in English, Luna 3ICAT #LETO FOR kCTION IN &ILIPINO AND Alice Sun-Cua for essay in English — 'AWAD 0AZ -ARQUEZ "ENITEZ FOR LITERARY teachers and the Gawad Pedro Bucaneg for literary groups will be honored.

The celebration of National Literature Month is established by PresidenTIAL 0ROCLAMATION SIGNED BY FORMER PRESIDENT "ENIGNO !QUINO RD IN )TS GOAL IS TO PROMOTE CONSERVE and popularize the country’s historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations.

NATIONAL Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario is urging Filipinos to reacquiant themselves with and take pride in their intangible cultural heritage in his latest book that was launched as part of celebrations of his 75th birthday.

During the launch of Bakit Kailangan Natin si Pedro Bucaneg? (Why Do We Need Pedro Bucaneg?) at the Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City on March 16, the influential poet and scholar said his new collection of nine essays not only served to advocate for the country’s intangible cultural heritage, but also explain why Filipinos were wasting it. “Sinasabi natin lagi na tayo ay napakayaman sa intangible cultural heritage, pero sa aking libro, sasabihin ko naman sa inyo na hanggang ngayon, wala tayong ginagawa para totohanan nating gamitin at pakinabangan [ito] (We always say that we are rich in intangible cultural heritage, but in my book, I will say that up to now, we are not doing anything to truly use or benefit from it),� said Almario,

also the chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF or the Filipino Language Commission).

Noting the lack of a comprehensive system in gathering and researching the products of this heritage — legends, folk tales and epics, riddles, and sayings — the writer also known as Rio Alma lamented that the few anthropologists or folklorists who worked in this field were not, in his words, “nakikipag-usap sa ating bayan (talking to the nation).� “Nakasulat lahat ang kanilang pag-aaral sa Ingles, kaya ang kinakausap nila at binibigyan ng impormasyon tungkol sa ating cultural heritage ay ang mga nagsasalita ng Ingles at hindi ang ating mga kababayan (All their research are written in English, so those they are talking to and transmitting information on our cultural heritage are those speaking in English and not our countrymen),� he said.

According to him, the country has a long history of believing in things non-Christian, but Filipinos today have forgotten about them.

They were not made aware and to understand, and to preserve and cherish these beliefs, when they should, he said.

Almario also lamented that the textbooks used to teach students about our intangible cultural heritage not only have insufficient information, but also wrong ones that are yet to be corrected. “‘Yung mali, o pekeng folklore o ‘fakelore’ na kumalat noong panahon ng Amerikano, hanggang ngayon ay hindi nasasawatan dahil nga hindi pinag-aaralan at sinisiyasat ng kahit ng ating mga

Q Virgilio S. Almario answers questions during an interview at the launch. PHOTO BY ALVIN I. DACANAY

THE Literary Life page of The Sunday Times Magazine is now accepting contributions of new, original and unpublished short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, preferably in English, from emerging and established writers. Works must be encoded in Microsoft Word using the typefaces Arial, Times New Roman, or Palatino Linotype, font size 12 and letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11 inches),

2EGISTRATION STARTS AT P M &OR INQUIRIES CALL LOC OR EMAIL PUBLISHING HOUSE UST EDU PH 9OU MAY ALSO VISIT 5340UBLISHING(OUSE ON &ACEBOOK AND )NSTAGRAM

BOOK REVIEW

Fire & Blood: Immensely readable and insightful

The launch of Pedro Bucaneg kicked off several performances, collectively called tertulia or a literary tea or merienda (snack), in celebration of Almario, who turned 75 on March 9.

These included performances by awardwinning writer and performance-poetry proponent Victor Emmanuel Carmelo D. Nadera Jr., who interpreted Almario’s poem “Ang Baul ni Ingkong� (Grandfather’s Trunk); spoken-word artist and “Hintayan ng Langit�

(Heaven’s Waiting Room) writer Juan Miguel Severo; and rapper Negatibo.

A Balagtasan or poetic joust — named after eminent poet and Florante at Laura author Francisco Balagtas — called “Rio Alma v. Virgilio S. Almario� was mounted by the so-called Makatas (“juicy� in Filipino and the pluralized form of makata or poet), composed of Dax Cutab, Karl Santos and RR Cagalingan.

The event also saw the opening of an exhibit of Almario memorabilia at the museum.

For more information on Bakit Kailangan Natin si Pedro Bucaneg? , call the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino at (632) 733-7260 or 7362525, email at komisyonsawika@gmail.com or visit www.kwf.gov.ph.

&IRE "LOOD costs P1299 in hardcover and is available in leading bookstores.

credited as the author of the first written version of the Ilokano epic Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang).

Among those who attended the launch and received complimentary copies of Pedro Bucaneg were National Artists for Music Ramon P. Santos and Ryan Cayabyab; National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera; and historian and professor Fe Mangahas, widow of the late poet and essayist Rogelio G. Mangahas, to whom the book was dedicated.

Almario, Mangahas and their contemporary Lamberto E. Antonio are credited for ushering in the late 1960s the Filipino modernist poetry movement that continues to influence generations of poets writing in Filipino today.

Poetic performances makabayang iskolar (Those wrong information, or fake folklore or ‘fakelore’ that became widespread during the American colonial period have not been kept in check because scholars did not study or investigate them, even the nationalist ones),� the author said. “[I]tong aklat ko ngayon ay hamon ko sa ating mga iskolar, mga guro at [mga] estudyante na nagmamahal sa ating bayan na tingnan ang ating paligid [at] balikan ang ating kasaysayan (My book is my challenge to our scholars, teachers and students who love our country to look around our environment and look back at our history),� he added. “Baka sa ganoong paraan ay higit naging makilala ang ating sarili at higit nating maipagmalaki ang pagiging Filipino (Perhaps, in that way, we would better recognize ourselves and be prouder of our being Filipino).�

Bakit Kailangan Natin si Pedro Bucaneg? takes its title from one of the essays in it, “Kung Bakit Mahalaga si Pedro Bucaneg�

(Why Pedro Bucaneg is Important), about the so-called Homer of Ilocandia who is widely

THE UST Publishing House, the publishing arm of the University of Santo Tomas, is set to launch 17 titles published in 2018 at the Tanghalang Teresita Quirino in the school’s Benavides Building on April 4 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The poetry titles to be unveiled are Sa Mga Pagitan ng Buhay at Iba pang Pagtutulay by Ralph Semino Galån; Damagan by Allan Popa; Each Sold Separately by Ruel S. de Vera; Walang Iisang Salita by Paul A. Castillo; and Drift by Joel H. Vega. *OINING THEM ARE THESE WORKS OF kCTION A River: OneWoman Deep, which collects Linda Ty-Casper’s new stories and a novella; Hantong, *OHN *ACK 7IGLEY S kRST COLLECTION OF SHORT kCTION IN &ILIPINO AND Collected Stories and Tales BY #RISTINA 0ANTOJA (IDALGO A DEkNITIVE COMPENDIUM OF HER SHORT kCTION THROUGH THE YEARS #REATIVE NONkCTION TITLES TO BE INTRODUCED ARE Ilang Sulyap sa Daigdig, a collection of literary essays by Dionisio San Agustin that is edited by Michael M. Coroza; Shaw Boulevard, a memoir by Popi Laudico; and Under Manila Sky: A Memoir on the Art of Survival by Irene W.D. Hecht.

Literary criticism is represented by Ang Tagalabas sa Panitikan by Chuckberry Pascual, &INDING 4EO Tula/Talambuhay by Joselito de los Reyes and AralĂ­n at Siyasat: Mga Pagninilay Hinggil sa Tula by Louie Jon A. Sanchez.

And in the areas of philosophy and research, the publishing house will introduce Between the Confucian Li and Ren: A Philosophical Hermeneutics by Richard G. Ang, O.P.; -UNI 0AGLALAYAG SA 0AMIMILOSOPIYANG &ILIPINO by *OVITO 6 #ARIĂ„O AND THE kRST BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS FROM THE Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities Conference, which gathers the scholarly PAPERS DELIVERED BY KEY kGURES ON THE ISSUES #ATHOLIC educational institutions face regarding inclusive education.

These books will be sold at a discount. Members of the audience will also get the chance to have their copies signed by the authors at the end of the launch.

IMAGINE J.R.R. Tolkien releasing The Silmarillion before kNISHING The Return of the King, THE kNAL BOOK IN The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Then, imagine Tolkien and his publishers saying he would get to the end of The Lord of the Rings when he feels like it, but enjoy this massive background of the Middle Earth until he does.

Hard to imagine.

But that’s the proper analogy for &IRE "LOOD "ANTAM "OOKS PAGES 'EORGE 2 2 -ARTIN S latest book.

It is a sprawling history of the dragon-riding Targaryen Dynasty. Written similar to the text of a history book, it details the rise of the Westeros empire. It shares the origins of the Iron Throne and more.

All important elements of ! 3ONG OF )CE AND &IRE SERIES BETTER KNOWN BY THE TITLE OF THE kRST NOVEL A Game of Thrones.

Yes, Martin has released a 700-page history book, while his epic Game of Thrones remains incomplete. &ANS HAVE BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR THE SIXTH BOOK Game of Thrones, the HBO television show, had to move on without the novels. The series will begin airing ITS kNAL SEASON IN MID !PRIL WITHOUT THE BENEkT OF -ARTIN kNISHING THE BOOKS And while it’s tempting to be frustrated with Martin’s PACE THEN HIS BEING DISTRACTED WITH A kCTIONAL HISTORY book, &IRE "LOOD is immensely readable and insightful for fans.

Like Game of Thrones, it follows a vast cast of epic CHARACTERS STRENGTHENED BY THEIR ABILITIES AND lAWED BY their foibles. There’s a lot of gray in &IRE "LOOD One cannot stay mad at Martin for long. He gives readers another massive book of interest. And without him, well, we would have no Game at all.

THE VALDOSTA DAILYTIMES, GA./TNS

&OR MORE INFORMATION ON OTHER ACTIVIties during National Literature Month, visit www.ncca.gov.ph

Almario promotes PH’s cultural heritage in new book

BY ALVIN I. DACANAY

UST Publishing House to launch 17 titles on Apr 4

and saved in either .doc or .rtf format. Each short story and creative nonfiction piece should be between ten (10) and twenty (20) pages (double-spaced), while each poem should be limited to only one (1) page (single-spaced).

Works littered with glaring grammatical and typographical errors will not be considered. Send your works to the literary editor, Alvin I. Dacanay, at literarylife[at]

manilatimes[dot]net. Kindly put the genre and title of the work in the email’s subject line (example: Short Story: Dead Stars). Authors whose creative works are published in the magazine agree to have these included in literary anthologies that The Manila Times may conceive and publish in the future. Full copyright ownership of the works shall remain with their respective authors.

Filipino Champions The Sunday Times

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

F3

Nanny-turned-CEO inspires OFWs, Duty Free employees

I

N celebration of the National Women’s Month, around 150 female Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) along with employees of Duty Free Philippines (DFP) gathered on March 22 to listen and learn through an inspirational talk to uplift women in the workplace and across its community. &OR YEARS $&0 HAS ALWAYS TAKEN THE GREAT STRIDES TO ENSURE THAT ITS WORKPLACE IS INCLUSIVE AND DIVERSE g7HILE A MAN LEADS $UTY &REE 0HILIPPINES NOW OUR PURSUIT FOR GENDER EQUALITY CONTINUES !S PROOF TO THAT ) AM PROUD TO SAY THAT ALMOST HALF WOMEN OF OUR WORKFORCE ARE WOMEN AND A LOT OF THEM TAKE KEY POSITIONS IN THIS AGENCY u SAID $&0 #HIEF /PERATING /FkCER #// 6ICENTE !NGALA !NGALA ADDED THAT THE PRESENCE OF WOMEN IN THE AGENCY COMPLIMENTS $UTY &REE VALUES AND STANDARDS AS THEY ARE KNOWN TO BE GOOD AT MANAGING MULTIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES SIMULTANEOUSLY g&OR WORKING MOMS JUGGLING WORK RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL OBLIGATIONS THAT COME WITH RAISING A FAMILY IS NEVER EASY LALONG LALO NA SA ATING MGA /&7S NA NARIRITO NGAYON 3ILA ANG KABABAIHANG NANGIBANG BANSA AT TINITIIS ANG PAGKAWALAY SA KANILANG PAMILYA u HE SAID

A YOUNG AGE "USTAMANTE WOULD WORK IN HOMES WHEREVER SHE WOULD BE FED 3HE LEFT HER FAMILY WHILE STILL A TEENAGER TO WORK AS A DOMESTIC HELPER IN 3INGAPORE WITH ONLY ONE DAY OFF PER MONTH )N BETWEEN HER WORK SCHEDULE

SHE STUDIED !CCOUNTING AT THE /PEN 5NIVERSITY OF 3INGAPORE )NSTITUTE OF -ANAGEMENT WHERE SHE FINISHED HER UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM WITHOUT ANY OF HER EMPLOYERS BEING AWARE OF IT !FTER TWO YEARS SHE MOVED TO #ANADA TO LOOK FOR BETTER OPPORTUNITIES AS A NANNY $URING HER DAYS OFF SHE WOULD SELL HOUSEWARES TO AUGMENT HER INCOME FOR HER FAMILY 7ITH HER HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION SHE STARTED A PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN SALES !ND BEFORE RETURNING TO 0HILIPPINES SHE WAS A SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR A LARGE MULTINATIONAL COSMETIC COMPANY 3OME OF THE MANY AWARDS SHE RECEIVED INCLUDE 4OP 2OOKIE 3ALES $IRECTOR FOR .ORTH !MERICA 4OP 5NIT 3ALES !WARD

AND 4OP 0ERSONAL 3ALES !WARD Speaker 3HE IS NOW THE PRESIDENT AND CO FOUNDER OF !SIA #%/ %VENTS THE LARGEST AND ONLY g-AID TO -ADEu AUTHOR AND MOTIVATIONAL NATIONAL BUSINESS EVENT SERIES IN THE 0HILIPSPEAKER 2EBECCA "USTAMANTE -ILLS SHARED PINES 3ENIOR BUSINESS LEADERS COME FROM HER PERSONAL STORY AND CAREER JOURNEY ACROSS !SIA FOR EVENTS IN -ANILA #EBU Duty Free Philippines COO Vicente Pelagio Angala awards a certificate of appreciation to Rebecca Bustamante Mills, who gave a 3TARTING OUT IN EXTREME POVERTY AT $AVAO #LARK )LOILO AND OTHER LOCATIONS rousing speech about her journey from being a domestic helper to nanny to founder and president of her own company.

K I M AT I E N Z A , Z O R E N L E G A S P I , AND GRETCHEN HO

All set for PH’s biggest cycling festival

PRURide PH 2019 ambassadors Kim Atienza, Gretchen Ho and Zoren Legaspi.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO THREE HEALTH AND kTNESS AMBASSADORS WERE CHOSEN BY "RITISH LIFE INSURER 0RU ,IFE 5+ AS PARTNERS IN CHAMPIONING THE COMPANY S ADVOCACY OF PROMOTING A HEALTHY AND ACTIVE LIFESTYLE THROUGH CYCLING !CTOR :OREN ,EGASPI 46 HOST AND FORMER VOLLEYBALL PLAYER 'RETCHEN (O AND 46 HOST +UYA +IM !TIENZA WILL JOIN THE COUNTRY S BIGGEST CYCLING FESTIVAL 0252IDE 0( AS OFkCIAL AMBASSADORS 7HILE THEY MAY PRACTICE DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES ALL THREE SHARE A PASSION FOR CYCLING

HEALTH AND kTNESS (O AND ,EGASPI PREVIOUSLY JOINED 0252IDE 0( WHILE !TIENZA HAS COMPLETED TRIATHLONS HERE AND ABROAD

From tennis to cycling ,EGASPI IS AN AVID CYCLIST WHO DISCOVERED THE SPORT AFTER DEVELOPING KNEE PROBLEMS FROM PLAYING TENNIS (E NOW ENJOYS THE ADRENALINE OF GETTING ON A BIKE AND HAS COMPETED AND PLACED IN SEVERAL CYCLING RACES (E CONSIDERS HIS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN CYCLING AND NON STOP PRACTICE AS AN ADVANTAGE g-Y EXPERIENCE IS MY TRAINING %VEN IF THERE S NO RACE ) NEVER STOP PREPARING )T S BACK TO ZERO IF YOU STOP EVEN FOR JUST ONE MONTH u HE CAUTIONS (E ALSO ADDS THAT CYCLING BEGINS WITH KNOWING ONE S SELF AND TESTING ONE S LIMITS IN DISTANCE SPEED AND ELEVATION

Volleybelle still ! COLLEGIATE VOLLEYBALL STAR (O WAS INSPIRED TO CYCLE AFTER SEEING &ILIPINO !MERICAN WORLD TOUR CYCLIST #ORYN 2IVERA WIN THE 0RUDENTIAL 2IDE,ONDON #LASSIQUE IN THE 5NITED +INGDOM 3HE INTENSIFIED HER CONDITIONING AND STRENGTHENING ROUTINES TO CONQUER 0252IDE 0( WHICH SHE TREATS AS A NEW ADVENTURE g$ON T BE AFRAID TO RIDE 4AKE IT STEP BY STEP

SINCE IT S ALL ABOUT CONQUERING YOUR FEAR u SHE ENCOURAGES g%NJOY THE PROCESS BECAUSE RIDING A BIKE IS A LIBERATING FEELING 3LOWLY BUT SURELY

YOU LL GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE u

Stroke survivor !TIENZA COMMITTED TO DIFFERENT SPORTS INCLUDING CYCLING AFTER HAVING A STROKE IN 4ODAY

HE COMPETES AS A TRIATHLETE AND LIKE ,EGASPI

kNDS IT EASIER TO RACE WITH CONSTANT PREPARATION (E SAYS THAT THE MORE SEAT TIME A RIDER PUTS IN THE EASIER TO kNISH LONG DISTANCE RACES g,ONG WARM UPS ARE IMPORTANT AT MY AGE )T S BEEN HELPFUL BECAUSE ) LIKE LONGER DISTANCES 4HE YOUNG ONES ARE FAST BUT THEY GET TIRED EASILY 7HEN ) VE WARMED UP ) BEAT THEM u (E REVEALS THAT GOOD QUALITY GEAR IS JUST AS IMPORTANT BUT THAT THE MOST CRUCIAL THING IS TO GET ON ANY BIKE g2IDE WITHIN YOUR MEANS IT DOESN T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE 4HE IMPORTANT THING IS YOU JUST HAVE TO BIKE u HE SAYS

Different races !LL THREE WILL CYCLE AT THE 'RAN &ONDO A NON COMPETITIVE RACE IN

AND KILOMETER RIDES IN 3UBIC 4HEY WILL LIKEWISE GRACE THE TWO WEEKENDS OF 0252IDE 0(

WHICH WILL SEE PROFESSIONALS BEGINNERS AND ENTHUSIASTS FROM ACROSS !SIA PARTICIPATING IN CYCLING CATEGORIES OF DIFFERENT EXPERTISE LEVELS !PART FROM THE 'RAN &ONDO 0252IDE 0( WILL HAVE THE #ITY #RITERIUM AND THE 3MALL 7HEELS #HALLENGE ON !PRIL IN &ILINVEST !LABANG -EANWHILE THE 0HILIPPINE 3TRIDER #UP WILL KICK OFF ON -AY AND THE -ASTERS 2ACE ON -AY AT 3UBIC &REEPORT :ONE 6IRTUAL 2ACE WILL HOLD SUCCEEDING PRELIMINARIES FROM -ARCH !PRIL AND -AY AND WILL CONCLUDE ON -AY ALSO IN 3UBIC

'Besties' — and awe inspiring duo

S

/,)$ FRIENDSHIPS HAVE ALWAYS FASCINATED ME FROM THE FIRST MOMENT THAT ) READ ABOUT +RISTY 4HOMAS AND THE ADVENTURES OF 4HE "ABY 3ITTERS #LUB 4HERE IS JUST SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT FRIENDSHIPS THAT ARE BUILT ON SURPASSING CHALLENGES TOGETHER AND CELEBRATING EACH OTHER S VICTORIES 7HILE IT IS SAFE TO ADMIT THAT LIFE IS NOT AS SMOOTH AS THE FAIRYTALES FRIENDSHIPS THAT BECOME STRONGER AFTER LIFE S CHALLENGES HAVE ALWAYS AMAZED ME )T ALSO INTRIGUES ME WHEN ) SEE BEST FRIENDS WORKING ON SHARED PASSIONS TOGETHER BECAUSE WOULDN T IT JUST BE FUN TO WORK WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND 4HESE WERE THE THOUGHTS THAT CAME TO MIND WHEN ) MET gBESTIESu 4HOMAS /RLINA AND -ALIA "ALDOVI 4OGETHER 4HOMAS AND -AIA MAKE UP THE DUO WHO FRONTLINES THE ONLINE SHOW g4WO "ESTIES 4OGETHER u 4HE SHOW m WHICH HAS FEATURED POPULAR STARS LIKE #ARDI " 0ARIS (ILTON -AROON AND 0ATRICK 3TARR AMONG OTHERS m NOT ONLY HIGHLIGHTS SUCCESSFUL !SIAN !MERICAN STORIES BUT IS ALSO UNAFRAID TO SPEAK ABOUT SERIOUS TOPICS SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH #OMING OUT WEEKLY ON 9OU4UBE IT ALSO HAS PODCASTS AVAILABLE ON 3OUND #LOUD I4UNES AND 3POTIFY 4HOMAS AND -ALIA WHO ARE BOTH BASED IN ,OS !NGELES #ALIFORNIA CARRY WITH THEM INTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN (OLLYWOOD AND PRODUCTION THAT OF WHICH ARE BENEFICIAL TO THE SHOW 4HOMAS HAS BEEN WORKING IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOR EIGHT YEARS WHILE -ALIA

WHO IS (AWAIIAN !SIAN HAS WORKED IN TELEVISION PRODUCTION WITH HER MOST RECENT STINT BEING PART OF 53! .ETWORK S g4EMPTATION )SLAND u 4WO "ESTIES 4OGETHER WAS INSPIRED BY THE IDEA OF TWO MILLENNIAL BEST FRIENDS HAVING DRINKS AND TALKING TO AN AUDIENCE 4HOMAS SAYS g4HERE ARE NOT MANY !SIAN !MERICAN MALE AND FEMALE DUOS SO WE FIGURED WHY NOT BE A PIONEER OF THE CONCEPT AND AIM FOR NETWORKS TO DEVELOP THE SHOW EVEN FURTHER u 4HOMAS CONTINUES g7E RE INSPIRED BY PEOPLE WHO GIVE BACK AND USE THEIR VOICE TO STRENGTHEN OTHERS SO THIS SHOW OFFERS THAT TYPE OF MESSAGING TO BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU DO STAY TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE AND GIVE YOUR ALL TO EVERYTHING YOU HAVE SET OUT TO ACCOMPLISH !S LONG AS YOU WORK HARD

YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU WANT IN LIFE AND THAT IS WHAT 4WO "ESTIES 4OGETHER IS u "OTH BELIEVE THAT THE TIME IS NOW FOR !SIAN !MERICAN TALENTS TO SOAR g4HE OPPORTUNITIES NOW ARE A LOT GREATER THAN WHAT IT WAS YEARS AGO .OW PEOPLE ARE WANTING MORE OF A DIVERSITY A MIXTURE OF BACKGROUNDS WHICH GIVES !SIANS SUCH AS MYSELF

THE THOUGHT JUNKIE CARLA BIANCA RAVANES-HIGHAM AND 4HOMAS MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY INTO PUTTING OURSELVES OUT THERE IN THE INDUSTRY 4HE INDUSTRY IS CHANGING SO WHY NOT ROLL WITH IT WHILE MORE DOORS ARE OPENING u -ALIA SAYS 4HE BESTIES ALSO NOTE THE IMPORTANCE OF USING THEIR VOICES TO ADVOCATE FOR OTHERS AND ONE OF THE WAYS THEY ARE DOING SO IS BY RELEASING A SINGLE ON I4UNES WITH PARTS OF THE PROCEEDS BEING DONATED TO A NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION /NE OF THEIR ADVOCACIES BENEkTS FROM THIS g7E HAVE A SHARED INTEREST IN ADVOCATING FOR ENDING BULLYING ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE YOUTH AND YOUNG TEENS SO THAT S ONE OF THE AREAS WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE BACK 3OCIAL MEDIA CAN BE REALLY

DAMAGING SO WE RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF REALLY FIGURING OUT WHICH ORGANIZATION WE WANT TO SELECT BUT WHOEVER WE DECIDE WE WILL BE CONTRIBUTING TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND THAT S WHAT S IMPORTANT TO US u -ALIA CONTINUES "OTH 4HOMAS AND -ALIA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR PLATFORM ALSO GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO SHOW THE WORLD THE EXCELLENCE OF &ILIPINO !MERICANS g) AM EXTREMELY PROUD TO BE &ILIPINO !MERICAN AND ) HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN ,OS !NGELES AND ) AM EXCITED FOR THE WORK THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO ) AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE COLLABORATIONS WITH THE &ILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE u 4HOMAS REFLECTS 4O KNOW MORE ABOUT 4WO "ESTIES 4OGETHER SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR 9OU4UBE CHANNEL AND FOLLOW TWOBESTIESTOGETHER ON )NSTAGRAM *** WWW CARLABIANCARAVANES COM

Malia Baldovi and Thomas Orlina make up the duo that frontline the LA-based online show, ‘Two Besties Together.’

Cover Story The Sunday Times

F4

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

FORMER PRESIDENT AND INCUMBENT MANILA CITY MAYOR JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA

Erap gears up for ‘last hurrah’ in politics I

BY TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA

F there is one indisputable constant in the storied life of Joseph Ejercito Estrada, it is how his every undertaking took him to zenith. He will proudly enumerate these stages in his 81-year existence as he should, beginning with his rise from a bit player in show business to lead actor, action superstar and producer.

In the realm of politics, the same phenomenon emerged. For in the late 1960s no one ever imagined that the silver screen’s “Asiong Salongaâ€? — a political greenhorn — would ever become mayor. But of course, he proved them wrong, landing one stunning victory after the next to surprise all and sundry when he leapt to the senDWH WR WKH YLFH SUHVLGHQF\ DQG Ă€QDOO\ became president of the Republic of the Philippines.

Ask him, however, what he believes were his personal traits and decisions, or the strokes of luck that perpetually carried him to the top of his every endeavor and he will humbly but decisively say, “It has nothing to do with me.�

Because for former president and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito “Erap� Estrada, he owes everything — his success in showbiz, his triumph in politics, his rise from his disgrace, and his personal happiness — to the poor of this country. “They are the one constant in my life. It was the poor who created me. It was the poor who raised me up. It was the poor who never left me. That’s why to this very day, it’s Erap para sa mahirap all the way,� Estrada vowed.

The Sunday Times Magazine had the honor of sharing lunch with the 13th president of the Philippines early this week and as such the rare and valuable opportunity to speak with him in the most candid of ways.

No topic was off the table nor were any of his answers censored.

Asked what he learned from what many Filipinos and political analysts around the world consider to be his unconstitutional removal from the presidency in 2001 — a blatant power grab — and Estrada will look you in the eye and pronounce, “Never trust the Americans.�

As an opinion piece in The Manila Times detailed in January 2016, “Until this time, it has been little known to the Filipino people that on the eve of the attack [on the MILF main fortress Camp Abubakar], President Estrada got two urgent messages.

The Sunday Times

magazine TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA Editor ALVIN I. DACANAY Literary Editor CHRISTINA ALPAD IZA IGLESIAS Staff Writers ARLO CUSTODIO Deskman *** PETER BAGA ZENAIDA D. ERISPE MARJORIE T. DIZON ENRICO D. BERATA JOANNA C. UMADHAY HORACIO MAKABENTA Layout Artists *** DANTE FRANCIS M. ANG 2ND President & CEO *** Telephone: 524-5664 to 66 Telefax: 521-6897 • 521-6872 Subscription: 528-1319 www.manilatimes.net Website lifestyle@manilatimes.net E-mail

~

The Manila Times is published daily at 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002

One, through a telephone call, from Jaime Cardinal Sin, imploring him to desist from the planned attack as per wishes of America, and two, through a US diplomatic messenger, conveying President Bill Clinton’s own admonition to President Estrada not to attack Camp Abubakar. To both messages, President Estrada countered with a citation of 14 marines beheaded by the MILF.â€? “As history would have it, in utter defiance of US wishes, President Estrada proceeded to crush Camp Abubakar — and the MILF rebellion practically. And as history would have it as well, toward the end of 2000, the Chavit Singson exposĂŠ of Erap took place, triggering the latter’s impeachment trial. Eventual walk-out of the opposition from the trial sparked the upheaval which Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide readily seized upon in declaring the presidency vacant and swearing in Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as successor president.â€?

Almost two decades since the darkest times in his life, the former president can only shrug his shoulders when the conversation turns into what he could have done for country had he not been ousted. “Didn’t they oppose your approval RI WKH Ă RDWLQJ FDVLQR SURMHFW GXULQJ your presidency when gaming and entertainment hubs are very prominent today?â€? recalled a colleague.

Again, the shrug of the shoulders DQG WKH WUDQTXLO EXW GLJQLĂ€HG DFNQRZOedgement, “I told them it would boost the economy and create jobs for many Filipinos.â€?

And as more could-have-been’s circled the round table while Estrada quietly polished off his favorite plate of lechon [“I’m healthy and I can eat anything,â€? he earlier said], he savored his final bite, picked up his napkin, and raised his hands in front of him as if to pacify the rising emotion. “They’ve apologized — President Cory [Aquino], Bishop [Antonio] Tobias, [Perfecto] Yasay‌ They’ve all apologized, remember?â€? he said again with a faint albeit reassuring smile that he has moved on despite his regrets and so should his supporters and this conversation.

After all, to wallow in the past will hardly achieve anything and he is still determined as ever to make a difference in the lives of poor Filipinos. “I’m already in my 80s. Lolo na si Erap — but 50 years old from the waist up and 30 from the waist down,â€? he chortled, the joker in the legendary ladies’ man made a cameo. “But what I am today is still the man from my Jesuit upbringing — a man for others. And given this opSRUWXQLW\ WR UXQ IRU D WKLUG DQG Ă€QDO term to help my fellow ManileĂąos, I am taking it. Like I said, it’s Erap para sa mahirap all the way, up to this, my last hurrah in politics.â€?

In the following Q&A let former president Joseph Estrada refresh the minds of Filipinos in Manila and beyond what has and continues to drive him to service. Laugh with him and learn from him as he recounts his extraordinary life that played out just like a movie. And finally, look forward with him as he determinedly lives out what he has long accepted as his destiny to be the champion of the poor, to the very end.

Question: As you begin to go into anRWKHU ÀJKW IRU \RXU WKLUG DQG ÀQDO WHUP DV 0DQLOD &LW\ PD\RU ZKDW GULYHV \RX WR GR VR DPLG DOO WKH VXFFHVV \RX¡YH DOUHDG\ DFKLHYHG DQG WKH PDQ\ GLVDSSRLQWPHQWV \RX¡YH DOVR HQGXUHG LQ SROLWLFV WKURXJK WKH PDQ\ \HDUV" -RVHSK (MHUFLWR (VWUDGD Ako, I

COVER PHOTO BY GERARD SEGUIA INSIDE PORTRAIT BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE

always bear in mind what the Bible says: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it unto Me.�

So in everything that you do, you must always do so for the greater good of the greatest number. And what is the greatest number [here in our country]? It is the poor. So throughout my life, I always think about them in everything I do, and they’ve always been there for me. Whether in my showbiz career, whether in government. Like I said, it was the poor who created Erap kaya si Erap forever para sa mahirap.

:KDW KDV LW EHHQ OLNH VHUYLQJ WKH FLW\ RI 0DQLOD" :KDW NLQG RI IXOÀOOPHQW KDV WKLV VWDJH LQ \RXU OLIH JLYHQ \RX DIWHU WZR WHUPV DV FLW\ PD\RU" You know, the city of Manila is the city of my birth. I was born in Tondo, at the Manuguit General Hospital. And back in 2013 when I saw the state of Manila — that it had the highest incidence of poverty, the highest number of jobless citizens, and that it is a bankrupt city, I knew I had to do something for the city where my life began.

I’ve been mayor, senator, vicepresident, president; then ex-mayor, ex-senator, ex-vice-president, expresident and ex-convict [laughs], but I couldn’t go on without giving back to Manila before I retire. And this [run for a third and final term] will be my last hurrah.

,Q ZKDW RWKHU ZD\V LV 0DQLOD FORVH WR \RXU KHDUW" My father [Emilio Ejercito Sr.] served the city hall for 35 years as an engineer; he served under four may-

Erap para sa Maynila The mayor’s achievements across two terms A TOTAL of 5,217 streetlights were installed in 117 streets of Manila since 2015.

Fifty-nine dialysis machines have been made available for free treatment of indigent patients with kidney problems at the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center in Tondo, with 13 more units soon to be added. Since it opened in 2018, the medical facility has treated more than 100,000 ManileĂąos.

From 2016 to 2018, 5,673,873 ManileĂąos have received free medical treatment from 59 barangay health cented and regular medical missions in the city.

Every year, some 9,000 children IURP *UDGHV WR EHQHĂ€W IURP WKH city’s 120-day Nutribun feeding program. “Edukasyon ang tulay sa isang magandang kinabukasan,â€? says Mayor Erap. And with that, the city government alloted P254 million for the contrustruction of a new building at Pamantasan Lungsod ng Maynila to allow more young citizens access to school.

Additionally, the city has spent P6,274,301,966.98 to renovate old and build new school buildings.

In terms of livelihood, the city has seen 11,644 small enterprises

Ă RXULVK XQGHU WKH &DSLWDO $VVLVtance Program.

Allocated P20 million for the renovation of the Manila Police Distric Headquarters.

Extended free dental services and information on dental health to 58,570 residents via the Mobile Dental Vans since 2018.

A total of six hospitals (Ospital ng Maynila, Ospital ng Sampaloc, Ospital ng Tondo, Sta. Ana Hospital, Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital and Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center) were renovated and upgraded with new machines and equipment including MRI, scanning and Xray machines, among others.

Manila City very recently landed the eighth spot in Europe and USbased agency IQAir and Greenpeace’s study that both rank the cleanest air in Southeast Asia. ,Q 0D\RU (VWUDGD¡V ÀUVW WHUP alone, the city government paid off its P4 billion debt, which was incurred during the previous administration. Manila was so deep debt then that its electric, water and telephone lines were nearly terminated.

Today, Mayor Estrada’s administration proudly reports that MaQLOD¡V ÀQDQFLDO FRQGLWLRQ LV VWURQJ and stable.

‘My guiding principle in life has always been to do the greater good for the greatest number.’

As an actor, Estrada rose from a bit player to action superstar to movie producer, buoyed by his legions of fans.

YOUTUBE SCREENGRAB

Cover Story The Sunday Times

SUNDAY March 31, 2019 ors. And my mother [Maria Marcelo] WKH ÀUVW HYHU 0LVV &DUQDEDO >&DUQLYDO Queen] from Singalong, Paco, which later became the Miss Manila pageant.

As an actor, Manila is where I got my Ă€UVW VWDUULQJ UROH DV ´$VLRQJ 6DORQJDÂľ and where I became famous as “Robin Hood ng Tondo.â€?

So you can see why I felt I had to do something for the city.

$QG ZKDW KDYH \RX DFKLHYHG IRU WKH FLW\ LQ WKH ODVW WZR WHUPV" Manila was P4-billion in debt [when , DVVXPHG RIÀFH@ DQG ,¡YH SDLG LW DOO Wala nang utang ang Maynila — we’re debt-free.

I renovated all the hospitals, and they’re all free hospitals now with free doctors [who attend to the citizens] and free medicine — everything is free.

In fact, “from womb to tomb,� everything is free for the citizens of Manila now because they can give birth in our hospitals with no cost, and if they die, families can avail of free burial. We actually built 1,500 columbariums — parang high-rise condominium [laughs].

You will see that I prioritized the debts and the welfare and well-being of the Manileùos, most especially the underprivileged citizens. $V H[SHFWHG \RX SULRULWL]HG DOOHYLDWLQJ WKH OLYHV RI WKH SRRU ³ (UDS SDUD VD PDKLUDS %XW ULJKW QRZ HYHU\RQH LV ORRNLQJ DW ZKDW¡V KDSSHQLQJ GXULQJ WKH FORVXUH RI 0DQLOD %D\ The rehabilitation is underway and President Duterte has also approved the reclamation [component] which is heaven-sent to Manila. Like I said Manila had the highest level of poverty and jobless people [when I became mayor] and part of the reason for that is because the city has no more room for expansion.

With that reclamation, we’ll be able to create more jobs, we can build more housing for the poor, and we can double the income of Manila once the investors come in. :LOO WKH 0DQLOD %D\ SURMHFW EHFRPH WKH FHQWHUSLHFH RI \RXU WKLUG WHUP LI \RX ZLQ WKH HOHFWLRQV LQ 0D\" The ultimate goal is to bring back the old glory of Manila. It used to be called the Pearl of the Orient, you know. That’s why I say this reclamation [project] is God-sent, hulog ng langit, because it will help accomplish all that — strengthen the economy of the city, provide more jobs and housing and therefore a better life for the people of Manila. Hopefully when I retire there will be less poverty in the city of my birth.

Amid all his success as well as his disappointments in the realm of politics, Estrada felt compelled to serve the city of his birth when he saw Manila’s dire state in 2013.

ADDITIONAL INSIDE PHOTOS FROM ERAP ESTRADA FACEBOOK PAGE

KHUH WRGD\ >ERWK VRQV DUH UXQQLQJ IRU WKH 6HQDWH@ ZKRVH KDQG ZRXOG \RX UDLVH" I don’t play favorites. One thing I can tell you, wala akong pinagkaitan. I gave all my children the best education — many of them in London — the best gift for a good future. Nagawa ko yun sa lahat ng mga anak ko, kahit yung iba sa mga nanay nila may asawa na.

Hindi ko sila pinabayaan.

So if Jinggoy and JV were here today, siyempre pareho kong itataas ang kamay nila. Pareho ko silang anak at nagkatampuhan lang yung dalawa. %HVLGHV -LQJJR\ DQG -9¡V FDQGLGDF\ ZH¡YH EHHQ KHDULQJ JRRG WKLQJV DERXW \RXU GDXJKWHU -HULND ZKR LV DOVR UXQQLQJ IRU FRXQFLORU LQ 0DQLOD DQG \RXU JUDQGGDXJKWHU -DQHOOD ZKR LV UXQQLQJ IRU PD\RU RI 6DQ -XDQ :KDW DGYLFH GR \RX JLYH WKHP" They’re doing well because they grew up with a heart for the poor. My advice to them is the same guiding principle I’ve always had in life: To do the

greater good for the greatest number.

/LNH \RX WKH FXUUHQW SUHVLGHQW ZDV PD\RU RI 'DYDR &LW\ ILUVW EHIRUH KH OHDSW WR WKH SUHVLGHQF\ 8QWLO 3UHVLGHQW 'XWHUWH \RX ZHUH WKH RQO\ SUHVLGHQW ZKR KDG RFFXSLHG WKH SRVLWLRQ RI PD\RU DQG URVH XS WR WKH KLJKHVW SRVLWLRQ LQ WKH ODQG +RZ ZRXOG \RX UDWH KLV SHUIRUPDQFH DV SUHVLGHQW" He’s doing well because as a president who once governed as mayor, he has the feel of the people and that’s why he’s successful. He has the pulse of the people and knows what they need and what is important to them. Yung iba, senador to president, they don’t have that. )LQDOO\ ZLWK WKH PD\RUDOW\ UDFH LQ 0DQLOD D WKUHH ZD\ EDWWOH DPRQJ \RXUVHOI \RXU IRUPHU YLFH PD\RU ,VNR 0RUHQR DQG IRUPHU mayor $OIUHGR /LP GR \RX KDYH D PHVVDJH IRU WKHP" It’s a free country and everyone has the right to seek an elective position. And it’s not my place to say something against them.

$V \RX DOZD\V VD\ VL (UDS SDUD VD PDKLUDS DQG WKDW \RX RZH WKHP HYHU\WKLQJ &DQ \RX WDON PRUH DERXW KRZ WKH SRRU ´FUHDWHG (UDS¾" First of all in my showbiz career‌ hindi ako si Fernando Poe, Jr. eh! Halfbreed yung best friend ko di’ba [laughs].

Eh ako, ako lang yung mukhang mahirap sa kanila nung panahon namin at yung mga tipong roles na underdog, mga mahihirap, napunta sa akin. And that’s the destiny right there. The poor were able to relate to me and sila rin ang sumuporta sa mga pelikula ko at itinaas ako bilang artista.

I’ve made some 200 movies and I can no longer receive a Famas award. Hall of Famer na ako, and dahil din ‘yun sa kanila, who inspired me in my roles.

'R \RX PLVV \RXU IULHQGVKLS ZLWK )3-" Of course. Hindi ko alam kung siya ang may utang sa akin o kung ako ang may utang sa kanya. Kahit kailan, wala kaming tinuos sa pagkakaibigan namin.

'R \RX PLVV PDNLQJ PRYLHV" Once in a while.

F5

Erap maintains lead in latest polls survey MANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada is OLNHO\ WR JHW KLV WKLUG DQG ÀQDO WHUP following the results of the latest survey commissioned by business tycoon Manny Pangilinan’s Metro 3DFLÀF FRPSDQ\ In a survey field work conducted from March 18 to 22, 2019 by Probe Data Processing & Research Services Estrada scored 45.9 percent, with fellow mayoralty candidates Isko Moreno at 34 percent, and former mayor Alfredo Lim at 17.8.

With Manila’s voters turnout expected to be at 850,000, Estrada’s more than 9 percent advantage could reach up to 85,000 over his former vice mayor’s race who lost in a senatorial run in 2016.

With 1,800 respondends equally divided among the city’s six districts, Estrada got the commanding lead in trust, awareness and voters preference.

Meanwhile in the vice mayoralty race, former congressman Amado Bagatsing scored 49.6 percent,while his closest rival Honey Lacuna emerged at 46 percent.

Before this latest survey, Estrada also had the lead in two consecutive surveys conducted in December 2018 and February 2019.

Mayor Estrada thanked the residents of Manila for their continued trust in his ability to lead the country’s capital in the next three years.

Manila City’s beloved president-mayor Joseph Estrada.

The 13th president of the Philippines declares that the 2019 elections will be his last hurrah in politics and if he wins anew will make sure to bring Manila back to its old glory.

'RQ¡W \RX HYHU WKLQN RI KDYLQJ D ODVW KXUUDK LQ WKH PRYLHV DV ZHOO" What role will I play? Lolo na kasi ako eh. [Laughs]. Ayoko naman panoorin ako ng mga tao sa sinehan tapos sabihin nila, “Ang tanda-tanda na pala ni Erap!â€? [Laughs more]. +RZ LV \RXU KHDOWK WKHVH GD\V 0U 3UHVLGHQW" I am very healthy. I can eat anything as you can see. Walang bawal‌ lalo na chicks! [Laughs].

2Q EHLQJ D ODGLHV¡ PDQ Bakit? Ladies’ man ba ako? Hindi naman ako ladies’ man ah! [Laughs again]. +DYH \RX HYHU WDXJKW RQH RI \RXU VRQV RU HYHQ RQH RI \RXU JUDQGVRQV WRGD\ KRZ WR ZLQ ZRPHQ" No, you can’t teach that. It’s acquired. [Chuckles].

'R \RX SOD\ IDYRULWHV DPRQJ \RXU FKLOGUHQ" ,I -LQJJR\ DQG -9 ZHUH

‘The poor are the one constant in my life. It was the poor who created and raised me up.

It was the poor who never left me. That’s why it’s Erap para sa mahirap all the way.’ (Photos above, left and below)

Fun Times The Sunday Times

F6

»horoscope

THE SUNDAY CROSSWORD

This Side of Paradise

By Merl Reagle March 31, 2019

...Dive right in This puzzle is part of Merl's best-of series NOTE: In addition to the theme, can you find an eight-word hidden message to a friend of mine?

1 5 9 13 17 18 20 21 22 24 26 27 28 30 31 33 34 35 36 38 44 47 48 49 50 54 56 57 58 59 61 63 66 68 69 71 72 76 81 82 83 85 86 87 89 93 95 96 97 98 102

ACROSS Podium appurtenance Talented Irish advantage Swallow, as pills It gets depressed a lot Follow Russian river Russian city Pasting Type of fortune telling Boarding house?: abbr.

Fagin’s pal Bill Thugs Tattooed Grammy and Oscar winner Fairy or folk item Nora Charles portrayer Consider hastily Words in Sheep’s Clothing author Victim’s feeling 1938 “marihuana classic” Restraint for Rex Be a crybaby “___ the ramparts ...”

Biologist Metchnikoff Probably won’t happen Set right Soccer chant Govt. disability insurance Trevanian’s The ___ Sanction Mr. Rubik Congress’s TV channel Dipped in inee Heroes, e.g.

Mountain-road curve Hint to the 12 theme words in this puzzle Signal Treasure hunter’s find Resembling Bartletts Bamboo lover Oil-rich sultanate Yale-race implement Extinct bird Not quite right Ascension Long faces Van Gogh bro Like a recruit Spongy toy material Vex Freeway alternative Len Deighton novel

104 105 106 107 111 113 115 117 118 120 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130

MacDill AFB state Inactivity metaphor It forms when you sit Popular activity ctr.

“Open sesame” utterer Tuscany city 1957 Literature Nobelist Unattractive one Spear vegetable, spelled backwards Off hours Greek letters Leave suddenly Car dealership offering Was televised Give a hoot Word before out or put Reserved or restrained European blackbird

DOWN 1 Boulez’s New York Philharmonic successor 2 Perfect 3 ___ Kan (dog food) 4 Architect’s add-ons 5 Roach-loving lizards 6 One way to sing 7 Sufferer’s suffix 8 Dull grayish brown 9 Actress-singer Patti 10 Prefix meaning “sky” 11 Coolidge and others 12 Dutch airline 13 “Our half-faced sun, striving ___” (Shak.)

14 Laugh-In first name 15 The King and I co-star 16 Ron of the TV jungle 17 Cat call?

19 Ovum 23 Troubles 25 Like summer coffee 29 Steinbeck’s Lenny, e.g.

32 Part of an ultimatum 34 Norton’s milieu 35 Roundup buddy 37 Amazed cries 38 Do an autumn chore 39 A ___ of golf 40 “Feet, don’t fail ___” 41 Sneak to a chapel 42 Weaver Marner 43 Observed 44 Say “thay” for “say” 45 Exxon, once 46 Others, to Octavius

Gift givers! For info on Merl’s books, visit www.sundaycrosswords.com.

1

2

3

4

5

17

7

8

18

22

9 19

32 36 45

28 33

46

58

63

64

53 59

69 74

81

93

94

98

99

83

118

96

97 102 103

115 120 121 125

124 128

47 Dallas 51 Common trait that’s rare?

52 Falsehood 53 Informal assent 55 Come to pass 60 Protein-synthesis director 62 Songwriter Silverstein 64 Email directive 65 Businessman Schindler 66 Soak (up) 67 Poker challenge 69 Cry of enlightenment 70 “The Swedish Nightingale” 72 Hindu holy man 73 Anesthetized 74 “Long time ___” 75 Eurasian mergansers 76 Type of piece or pastry 77 Elected, to Hélène 78 “___ your side”

79 Famed clown or gorilla 80 No sweat 81 Chef’s hangups?

83 Winter downfall 84 Dick Francis’s Dead ___ 88 Pizarro victim 90 Give ___ (exert to the max) 91 Fall (behind) 92 Warwick hit, “Walk ___” 94 Out of line or AWOL 99 Of insect wings 100 Versailles’s was famous 101 Pantyhose woe 102 Twain’s real first name 103 San Antonio player 106 Dogie grabber 108 Revolve with a whizzing sound 109 Bedouin transit 110 Like some beef or cheese

80

92

106

119

123

79

85 91

113 114

127

78

84

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LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Relax and have fun. Enjoy nature, sports and games. Young people teach you. Discover new territory together. Travel and explore. It could get romantic.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Focus on home and family. It could get chaotic. A home improvement could require making a mess. Listen to considerations before committing to a change.

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Good news impacts a community project. Wait for developments.

Things may not be as they seem. Don’t fall for a trick. Communication unlocks a door.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- You can solve an intellectual puzzle. Take notes, and review what you know. Notice what’s missing. Anticipate changes. Get feedback from your talented friends.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Forge ahead professionally. Your intellect and intuition agree on direction. Creative action can get especially profitable, with Mars in Gemini. Follow your budget.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) -- Today is a 9 -Settle into a profitable groove. Demand is high for your offerings. Rake in a lucrative harvest. Get terms in writing.

Bring your strength. Physical action energizes.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Slow for unexpected delays on the road. Explore your surroundings.

Take charge for what you want, with Mars in your sign.

Discover hidden wonders.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Prepare to launch a personal project. Do it for love. It’s OK if it makes money. Don’t worry about that. Follow your heart.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Set financial priorities with your partner. Review budgets and plan for shared goals. Confirm intuition with hard data.

Organize accounts for greater peace of mind.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Compromise with your partner to avoid arguments. Use your charm and persuasion. You don’t know it all, especially about money.

Learn new tricks together.

130

“Life is ___ dream” Lab stuff Pick out or recognize Majorca o Minorca So long, to Sophia Stitch line

118 Short time, briefly 119 Not in sch.

121 Common Market: abbr.

122 Make bows

Solution: ¶,QWULJXH · (Mar 24) V I NO S A R A H AME R A V E R OME BOD Y I S F WO A ON E D O N T K N O WW H A S I A N RO H E Y R E A L L I N ME L E A T CROC L I N H EWA S D E A DWH R E N UMP OO I V E N E V E R S E E S E R A WHO P S I E L S NO L E T SGOOU T OU I A NN CH S T OP YOUR E HU S N OW A F T T H I S I S N T T H E RO Z T H E E A D U T E H E A D T E S T I L T

energy into your work and it pays. Physical efforts build strength, endurance and stamina. Nurture your body. Train with a coach. Professional opportunities arise.

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Today’s Birthday (03/31/19). Explore and reach for the stars this year. Pursue professional opportunities with determination. New beginnings unfold at your house this summer, before a new career road appears. Winter brings a professional win, before a new family plot twist. Communication strengthens bonds, no matter the distance.

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SUNDAY March 31, 2019

I S O T O N I C E O N S T I R R U N

L A HR B E A I D E A I NC L L OW I N GM E E A NOR A I C A N T RU S T GA R S S E T T OGE T H E R OO S E E RN A C A F E N I GO T H E R E A R I S E L H I MB E F OR E A D E A P E R T L Y S L H E B A C KWA Y ON A E R E T I NGMY A RM OR E A L OE O A D T O T OWN L T OWE N S S E E L S E

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Pour

SUDOKU

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Careful planning saves time and money. Rest, and consider the results you want. Energize a home improvement project.

Research to fit your budget and style.

(Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Black’s legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @lindablack. For more astrological interpretations visit Linda Black Horoscopes and www. nancyblack.com) NANCY BLACK. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

By ROGER SEVILLA Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 square contains the digits 1 to 9 with no repeats.

Solution from yesterday’s puzzle.

Arts Awake SUNDAY March 31, 2019

The Sunday Times

‘Father’s Day’ begins when Henry Willows (Miguel Faustmann) receives an unexpected visit from his estranged son, Matthew (Andres Borromeo). PHOTOS BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE

F7

With Matthew bringing his girlfriend Christine (alternately played by sisters Becca and Rachel Coates), exes Henry and Sue (Liesl Batucan) recall their problems as a couple.

‘Father’s Day’ and the ups and downs of family life

B

BY NIKA ROQUE

ITTER fights, intense comebacks, and open conversations. This is what Repertory Philippines’ “Father’s Day” is all about.

Adapted from the original West End production, Father’s Day revolves around Henry Willows, played by Miguel Faustmann. Used to his life alone and as a divorcee, Henry receives an unexpected visit from his mischievous son Matthew, brought to life by Andres Borromeo. Still resentful over the divorce and losing his family, Henry treats him unkindly and remains unsympathetic

toward his son.

Realizing that Matthew ran away from home due to its negative environment, the family’s life continues to be revealed when Henry calls his ex-wife Sue. However, Matthew admits that he brought along his 16-year-old goth girlfriend Christine, which begins a whole new set of issues. Theater actresses and sisters Becca and Rachel Coates alternately por-

tray the role of Christine.

Later on, Sue — played by award-winning theater veteran and REP’s managing director Liesl Batucan – also ends up going to the house to try and solve the problem, only to run into more situations as the unplanned trip goes by. Seeing her son, Sue ends up rekindling old wounds with Henry, on where they went wrong as a couple and as parents.

The unusual family reunion may seem heavy, but actually holds many comedic and lively elements that REP (abbreviated name of the theater organization) is known for. Meant to be enjoyed with the family, the audience would get to see the

‘Father’s Day’ runs until April 14 at Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1.

many ups and downs of family life – with members caring and supporting one another at the end of the day.

With theater legend Baby

Ballet Manila takes a rousing bow BALLET Manila closed its 23rd season in spectacular fashion as it recently prem ier e d it s newe st dou ble header “Deux” at the Aliw Theater, CCP Complex.

Gracefully combining classical with contemporary ballet to the tunes of Chopin and The Beatles, the show opened with classical vignettes featuring “Les Sylphides” where a lone danseur was seen being surrounded by his muses – white-clad sylphs or air spirits, dancing in the moonlight.

While it is non-narrative, its lingering music by Frederic Chopin and lyrical choreography by Michael Fokine in the first chapter evoke the illusion of ethereal weightlessness which characterized the romantic era of ballet where technique is the focal point, especially the intricate pointe work of ballerinas.

The second chapter featured a thrilling contemporary bal-

Ballet Manila CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and Martin Lawrance (center) with the company dancers on the successful 23rd season finale.

let titled “The Winding Road” set to the tune of The Beatles.

Choreographed by Martin Lawrance, The Winding Road brought ballet closer to the young and old with Beatles hits such as “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Here, There and Everywhere,” “Something,”

“ T h e L o n g a n d Wi n d i n g Road” and “She Loves You” among others.

“O u r 23r d p e r for m a nc e season has been a very wonderful journey, kicking off with electrifying productions of tour de force and now we closed with the perfect

double header, Deux,” said Ballet Manila CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde.

“We are very thankful for everyone’s continuous support for Ballet Manila and we are very thrilled to see everyone again on our 24th performance season,” she added.

Call for entries to Ateneo Art Awards THE Ateneo Art Gallery is now accepting nominations and entries for the 2019 Ateneo Art Awards — Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art and Ateneo Art Awards and the Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prizes in Art Criticism.

Deadline of submission of nominations and entries is on May 31 at 5 p.m.

Celebrating the best of contemporary art in the Philippines, the Ateneo Art Gallery and its partners give recognition and opportunities to Filipino visual artists below the age of 36 through the annual Ateneo Art Awards – Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art. Since 2004, outstanding works and exhibitions by young visual artists are duly recognized through this prize that honors Fernando Zóbel (1924-1984), the founding benefactor of the Ateneo Art Gallery.

From a shortlist of 12, three winners will be selected who will be eligible for international residency grants funded

by Ateneo Art Gallery and its partner institutions such as The Creative Campus, Liverpool Hope University in United Kingdom; Artesan Gallery + Studio in Singapore; and La Trobe

University in Bendigo, Australia.

The Ateneo Art Gallery also continues its partnership with the Embassy of Italy through the Ateneo Art Awards – Embassy of Italy Purchase Prize. This new award incentive is in line with the Embassy’s mission to compile a collection of Philippine contemporary art.

The recipient will be selected among the 12 shortlisted artists.

Those eligible to nominate for the Ateneo Art Awards - Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art are former members of the Ateneo Art Awards jury, museum directors or curators, gallerists, independent curators, professional visual artists (must have participated in at least one solo or group exhibition in a public venue), art administrators, art journalists or art educators residing in the Philippines. The artworks for nomination must have appeared in a solo or group show within the twelve months preceding May 2, 2019.

Founded in 2014, the Purita KalawL e de sma P r i z e s i n A r t C r it ici sm was established by the Ateneo Art Gallery, in partnership with KalawLedesma Foundation Inc.

In 2016, Ateneo Art Gallery announced A r tAsiaPacif ic Magazine as a new publication partner for the prizes. The award honors the memory of Purita Kalaw-Ledesma, art patron, founder of Art Association of the Philippines (AAP), and an art writer who authored several important books on Philippine History.

Writers or contributors based in the Philippines may join the competition.

With no more than 1000 words, all entries IRU WKH DZDUG VKRXOG UHÁHFW WKH VW\OH RI DQ DUW FULWLFLVP DUWLFOH 7KH ÀQDO OLVW RI exhibitions open for review is posted on the Ateneo Art Gallery website (ateneoartgallery.com).

All shortlisted writers will also have the chance to submit their works to the new online site, Vital Points: Essays from the Ateneo Art Awards – Purita KalawLedesma Prizes in Art Criticism, a new platform created in partnership with the Kalaw-Ledesma Foundation Inc., as another venue for art criticism.

The complete mechanics and downloadable forms are also available at the Ateneo Art Gallery website (ateneoartgallery.com)

Barredo — lovingly known in the industry as Tita Baby — back on the director’s chair, Father’s Day is def i n itely a show not to be missed. It

runs at the Onstage Theater in Green belt 1 unti l Apr i l 14 . T i c k e t s a r e ava i l a bl e at Rep e r t or y Ph i l ippi ne s and Ticketworld.

Shomura closes PPO concert season CONCLUDING its 45th an- styles. In addition to solo ren iversar y celebration, the citals and performances with Ph i l ippi ne Ph i l h a r mon ic Japan’s major orchestras, he Orchestra stages a concert often collaborates with his on April 12 at 8 p.m. at the c ol le a g ue s i n p er for m i n g Tanghalang Nicanor A be- duos and trios concerti, with lardo (CCP Main Theater). various instruments such as Under the baton of Mae- f lute, voice, piano, violin, stro Yoshikazu Fukumura, and mandolin. the PPO music director and As an advocate of contemprincipal conductor, the pro- porary works for guitar, he gram features Felix Mendels- premiered and recorded Toru sohn’s “Symphony No. 4, Op. Takemitsu’s guitar works, 90 in A major (‘Italian’),” i nc lud i n g “I n t he Wo o d s Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s (1995) - three pieces for gui“Guitar Concer to No. 1,” tar,” a work written a nd Igor St rav i n sk y’s for him by Takemit“The Rite of Spring.” su himself.

Japa ne s e g u it a r i s t Kiyoshi Shomura is the featured soloist of the orchestra for the guitar concerto.

Shomura began his g u it a r le s sons at age nine, first study i ng w it h h i s father Masato Shomu ra, and later Japanese guitarist Kiyoshi Shomura. w i t h Ya su ma sa Oha ra. I n 19 6 4 , A Toshiba EMI Label reShomura traveled to Spain cording artist, Shomura cont o s t u d y w i t h r e n o w n e d tinues today to commission g u i t a r i s t Na r c i s o Ye p e s , and premier works by Japawho during a visit to Japan nese composers playing an t he pr e v i ou s ye a r r e c og - important role in expanding nized Shomura’s potential. the guitar repertoire.

Shomura performed several In December 2013, he rerecitals in Europe during his leased “Recuerdos de la Alstay in 1967 to 1968. hambra” featuring his roots, Before returning to Japan Spanish music. in 1969, Shomura performed In 2014, he celebrated the approximately 40 highly ac- 45th anniversary of his career claimed recitals throughout as a concert guitarist.

Italy from 1968 to 1969. AfIn 2015, Shomura performed ter his 1969 recital debut in and recorded an album on guiJapan, he returned to Italy tar concertos by Giuliani and as the Japanese representa- Vivaldi with I Music, which tive at the 1971 World Youth was released in 2016.

Association International, Si nc e 2 017, he has per and continued recitals in 28 formed “Kiyoshi Shomura c i t i e s t h r o u g h o u t No r t h Special Project,” a series of America. fou r concer ts to show the S i n c e h i s e a r l y y e a r s , diverse possibilities of guitar Shomura’s concerts have cov- in celebration for his 50th anered a wide range of musical niversary in 2019.

Arts Awake The Sunday Times

F8

March 31, 2019 SUNDAY

TA L L E R E S D E M A X I M O

A heavenly visual spectacle

‘Relief work – Nativity’

‘Immaculate Heart of Mary’

M

AXIMO Vicente Sr., the country’s master sculptor of religious imagery, and his extraordinary creations have descended into the heart of Makati.

Maximo Vicente Sr. was born in Malabon to Antonina Vicente and a Spaniard named Guardamonte. A graduate of UP School of Fine Arts in 1909, Vicente found his calling in becoming a santero, or maker of religious images.

Vicente set up a shop called Talleres de Maximo Vicente at Calle R. Hidalgo in Quiapo, Manila in 1908 but later moved to M. Adriatico Street in Ermita.

He was married to Crispina Laxamana and together they had 11 children. It was Maximo Jr. and his wife Soledad Hernandez-Vicente who carried on h i s father’s legacy at the talleres.

Considered as one of the successful commercial santero of all time, Vicente was known to produce images that could rival those made by the best artisans RI (XURSH ³ ÀQH PHWLFXORXV DQG one-of-a-kind.

Every piece of work that came out from this shop was perfect in artistry and workmanship. And why wouldn’t they? It takes anywhere from three to 12 months to complete a commissioned image.

It was this superior craftsmanship and his deep faith that

made the creations of Maximo Vicente’s hands unparalleled.

The Santo Niùo de Praga of San Beda College in Mendiola and San Beda College Alabang, the statues of the main and side altars of our Lady of Mount Carmel on BroadZD\ $YHQXH WKH FUXFLÀHG &KULVW LQ 7UHFH Martires, Virgen Milagrosa, San Vicente de Paul, Sta. Luisa in San Marcelino Church, Nuestra Senora de Candelaria in Iloilo, the statues found at the Assumption Convent in San Lorenzo Village and the Alfonso de Liguori Church in Magallanes are just some of Talleres de Maximo Vicente’s exquisite handiworks.

To this day, owning a Maximo Vicente image is an honor bequeathed to those of strong faith DQG ÀQH WDVWH This in mind, Rustan’s decided that for the month of April, it will present a special exhibition of the religious imagery collection of the renowned Santero.

From April 11 to 25, the 5XVWDQ¡V 0DNDWL WK à RRU will exhibit the extraordinary creations of the Talleres De Maximo Vicente.

‘Our Lady Queen of Peace’

‘Crucifix’

‘Holy Family with Clouds’ ‘Sleeping Sto. NiĂąo’

‘Bin-nadang di Kordilyera’ comes to the city

‘United Cordi’s’ by Jordan Mang-osan, solar drawing, 122 x 81 c.m. (2019)

ARTISTSPACE and Chanum Foundation brings “Bin-Nadang Di Kordilyera (translated in English as Bayanihan of Cordillera),� a group exhibition of Tam-awan Village Artist Group to Ayala Museum.

The Philippines is a country that epitomizes cultural diversity. However, one indigenous group has stood out the most in terms of richness and preservation of its practices, beliefs, and traditions.

Nestled in the mountains of north and central Luzon lived a number of tribes that were spared by the Spanish colonization.

Knowledge of their terrain and vigilant of their ways of life, these tribespeople that the Philippines has come to collectively call the Igorots fought off the 6SDQLDUGV DQG WKHLU LQĂ XHQFH for hundreds of years.

T he Igorot s, now ca l led Cordillerans, have always been faithful to the old ways and to their heritage. Despite political division and particular differences in practices and influences (even perspectives), the Igorots and/or the Cordillerans continued to flourish, and have even embraced the outside world as one.

Bin-nadang di Kordilyera encourages viewers to step into the minds and hearts of those

‘Highland Rice God’ by Edwin Macadaeg, sand art, 122 x 81 c.m. (2019)

who have descended from, were born into, inculcated or adapted the Igorot/Cordilleran way of life.

About the artist Chanum Foundation, Inc. was founded in 1998, and began reconstructing Ifugao huts in Pinsao to establish the Tamawan Village.

Founders, National Artist Ben Cabrera, Jordan Mang-osan, Chit Asignation, Nestor Mondok, Anne Camdas-Micheal, and Jackson Bryan 3rd worked together to envision an ideal and unique organization for culture and the arts. With the aim of making

‘Interlink’ by Francis Alingcayon, acrylic, 122 x 81 c.m. (2019)

Tam-awan Village the premier venue for the ultimate cultural and artistic experience, Chanum also established its group of artists called the Tam-awan Village Artist Group.�

This artist group began with members, Cabrera and Mangosan at the helm. More artists were recruited who had impressive talent, and shared the same mission and vision as Chanum Foundation, Inc. The purpose was to create a group of visual artists who would promote the diversity and richness of the Cordilleran culture and lifestyles through their artworks.

With the sponsorship of the foundation and under the men-

torship of topnotch artists, the dream came true.

The Tam-awan Village Artist Group now boasts of 27 active artists who incorporate Igorot culture and ideals into their works. A prospective member’s artwork portfolio is first reYLHZHG E\ WKH ERDUG RI RIÀFHUV and senior artists before undergoing probation for one year.

Each new member has to prove his or her worth and dedication to art and culture through annual art exhibitions, art workshops, and many more.

Every member is sponsored by Chanum Foundation,Inc., and JLYHQ WKH FKDQFH WR Ă RXULVK DQG realize his or her potential.

Today, the Tam-awan Village Artist Group has expanded its focus, and has embraced different forms of art. The group has begun conceptualizing and organizing recruitment and membership under performing arts, literature, and has LQFOXGHG ÀOP DQG SKRWRJUDSK\ under visual arts.

Bin-Nadang Di Kordilyera will be on view at the ArtistSpace until April 7. ArtistSpace is located at the Ayala Museum Annex, Ground Level, Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Makati City. It is open from Mondays to Sundays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

G2

Special Feature

SUNDAY DAY AY Ma March arccchh 31, 31 20 2201 0019 199

˜˜ The Manila Times w w w.manilatimes.net

Century Properties launches PHirst Park Homes The development company seeks to serve affordable housing segment.

A

BY MAAN D’ASIS PAMARAN

study released by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) pegs the housing backlog in the country at 6 million units. “By 3030, that number will grow to 12 Million,� cites Ricky Celis, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFkCER (CEO) of PHirst Park Homes Inc (PPHI).

With the continuous rise of high-end real estate projects to support city living, there is a particular segment that is underserved — the middle-class families living outside of Metro Manila looking for affordable housing in their areas.

This is the market segment that the Century Properties Group seeks to address, through a partnership with global business enterprise Mitsubishi Corp. to launch PHirst Park Homes, a development company that offers innovative projects to suit the affordable housing market’s needs. PHirst Park successfully launched its affordable housing communities in Tanza, Cavite and Lipa, Batangas and has recently introduced its third project in San Pablo, Laguna.

Celis says, “In these areas, we have our local market, and the OFWs who want to invest in their homes. The liveable size for our local market is 40 to 44 square meters (sqm).� PHirst units start at 40 sqm, while a combined unit is at 80 sqm and a single-detached unit is at 54 sqm. All units are expandable on THE SECOND lOOR AND THERE ARE provisions for those who want to buy the adjacent unit to accommodate a bigger family.

As a differentiator from the other locators, Celis shares that that has factored in more convenience

Q Domical view of one of Phirst Park’s amenities. for their buyers. “Most developers, for example, turn over their units basic or bare, then the buyer will have to come up with more funds for finishing. We turn over our UNITS COMPLETE FROM THE lOORINGS to the partitions, and even the gate, with everything computed into the selling price so they can move in right away. There is even a provision for a car park, to avoid residents parking on the road.�

The amenities are another distinguishing factor, he says. “Aside from the clubhouse, basketball court, and swimming pool, we have an outdoor theatre, reflexology area and a Wi-

Fi center, to ensure that there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy. There will be 15 PHirst Park Homes and we plan to integrate something new with each community, so they don’t come out as copy-paste but more suited to the lifestyle of the local residents.�

Century Properties Chairman and CEO, former ambassador Jose Antonio, was at the PHirst Park San Pablo launch, and he talked about the importance of investing in property wisely. “One of the biggest things in life IS BUYING A kRST HOME )T IS IMportant because you buy it with

the hard work and savings you had. You will stay there for a long time and maybe even give it as inheritance to your children, so I suggest you buy a good home.�

For his part, chief operating OFkCER -ARCO !NTONIO DISCUSSED the signature 4Cs of the PHirst Park Homes brand: Complete and well-provisioned homes with a perimeter fence and gate, Conceptive amenities including an outdoor cinema, Connected living through WiFi zones and shuttle services, AND A #ONVENIENT AND SIMPLIkED selling and buying experience.

The 18.5-hectare PHirst Park Homes development in San

Pablo is located at Maharlika Highway, Barangay San Ignacio and is accessible via South Luzon Expressway through the Santo Tomas Exit and is 15 minutes away from SM City San Pablo.

PPHI is set to launch more communities in north and south Luzon, WHICH THE COMPANY HAS IDENTIkED as growth areas with a high concentration of OFW families, unmet demand for housing, and where infrastructure projects are in place.

Within the next 4 to 5 years, PPHI will launch 15 masterplanned communities in Calabarzon region and Central Luzon with approximately 33,000 homes.

Q TOPFROM G1

Rising to the top Q The P20-billion Empire East Highland City in Cainta, Rizal.

Q An artist’s perspective of Lush Residences.

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Q Robinson’s AmiSa in Mactan, Cebu boasts of Gold Coast-inspired architecture swathed in cool blue and white hues.

The real estate market in 2018 was shaped by the government’s tax reform and infrastructure programs. These and the movement of PESO CONTINUE TO INlUENCE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT IN THE kRST QUARTER OF 2019. Despite the ever-changing factors, the industry remains thriving because of its ability to keep up with the increasing demand for living and working spaces and the ensuing trends.

Players are upping their game by taking an innovative approach when it comes to design and demand. Integrated commercial and residential buildings are no LONGER LIMITED TO THE CONkNES OF established business districts in the Metro. Property developers ARE lEXING THEIR ASSETS FROM MAJOR urban locations and prime peripheries to potential parcels of land outside Manila, particularly in the Visayas region.

Real estate companies are also veering away from traditional office and residential models and are becoming more and more experimental with development.

7ITH THE lEXIBILITY TREND CAME THE rise of co-working spaces, integrated townships and entertainment zones, improved leisure venues, luxury residential structures, notable landmarks and more.

With a considerable number of brand names and portfolios sprouting everywhere, property seekers will

Q SMDC’s Coast Residences is playing a key role in the transformation of the Manila Bay Area.

DEkNITELY HAVE A HARD TIME MAKING Robinsons Land that big decision. In no particular Corporation ORDER HERE ARE kVE OF THE COUNTRY S biggest names in property develop- The real estate arm of JG Summit ment today.

Holdings, Inc. built the country’s kRST MIXED USE FACILITY THE 2OBINSM Development sons Galleria Complex which is a combination of a hotel, a shopping Corporation MALL OFkCE SPACES AND CONDOMINIAward-winning SM Development um residences within one property.

Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) curCorporation (SMDC) has properties located in strategic sites in and around rently has over 70 residential buildings the Metro. This property developer, IN ADDITION TO HOTELS OFkCE BUILDINGS

aside from its world-famous shopping malls and other developments situmalls, is also known for what they call ated in major locations all over the “vertical villages� integrated with retail country. The brand was awarded in January as Best Developer, Southeast and commercial spaces.

SMDC is playing a key role in Asia by DOT Property, an online the transformation of the Manila property portal established in SingaBay Area into a booming business pore. RLC received this recognition district. Entertainment and business for its Robinsons Communities, the processing outsource companies brand that caters to upper middle and lOCKING THE AREA HAVE CAUSED PROP- middle income groups.

The property giant recently erty prices to go up. The resulting influx of expat employees drove LAUNCHED ITS kRST VENTURE INTO THE rental rates to become 30 to 50 lEXIBLE WORKSPACE kELD 7ORK ABLE percent higher in most residential is 1,100 square meters of thoughtproperties located in the Bay City fully designed extra working space and in Makati. The said figures ideal for freelancers, start-ups and were revealed in a 2018 research kRMS 4HE FACILITY IS LOCATED ON THE conducted by Colliers International. GROUND lOOR OF #YBERSCAPE 'AMMA Lush Residences, the latest addi- Building right in the heart of the tion to SMDC’s throng of vertical Ortigas Central Business District. villages, is set to be completed by January 2022. Situated north of the Ayala Land Makati Business District, this urban Incorporated haven boasts of luxurious interiors and verdant sanctuaries that inspire !YALA ,AND HAS UNDER ITS BELT THE kRST gated high-end subdivision in the and invigorate city living.

country, Forbes Park, which opened its doors to the public in the 1940s.

The master plan of its namesake BUSINESS AND kNANCIAL DISTRICT ALSO dates back to that year when the area was still known as Hacienda San Pedro de Makati.

The celebrated real estate firm specializes in long-term and largescale master planned urban developments which are fully integrated and sustainable. The former military base in Taguig now known as Bonifacio Global City and former sugar plantation turned eco-city Nuvali in Laguna are just some of the projects in its portfolio.

True to its dedication in upholding sustainable living, Ayala Land’s Lio Tourism Estate earned a spot in the “Sustainable Destinations Top 100� list last March at the world’s leading tourism trade travel show ITB Berlin. The 325-hectare community in El Nido, Palawan is an extraordinary island retreat that harmoniously melds the features of nature with commercial and residential spaces.

market demands, the company tried its hand at developing mixed-use properties for the middle income groups and in 1996 started work on the Eastwood City township.

Megaworld Corp. was named one of the best developers of the year in The Outlook 2018: Philippine Buyers’ Choice Property Awards by online property platform Lamudi Philippines.

Its Iloilo Business Park bagged the award for best mixed-use development in the Visayas and Mindanao. Mckinley Hill was also named best mixed-use development for amenities and location in Luzon.

Aside from high-quality yet reasonably priced residential condominiums, Megaworld continues to dominate the market with township and urban development plans such as the P20-billion Empire East Highland City in Cainta, the proposed 160-hectare Bonifacio Capital District in Fort Bonifacio and the P10-billion Maple Grove in General Trias, Cavite.

Megaworld Corporation

Cathay Land Inc

In the early 1990s, real estate developer Megaworld started out building high-end residential condominiums and commercial properties in prime urban areas intermingling with OFkCE SPACES AND LEISURE AND ENTERtainment venues. To keep up with

One of the fastest rising real estate firms in the Philippines, Cathay Land is the real estate arm of the Cathay Group of companies responsible for the development of the Dynasty Towers in Manila, Astoria Palaza in Pasig and Cavite Light

Industrial Park in Silang.

Recently, Cathay Land is expecting to generate about P12 billion sales from its mixed-used project Anantara Square in Las PiĂąas City.

In a statement released by the kRM THE PROJECT WILL FEATURE FOUR condominium towers located between two major shopping malls and near the central business district of the area.

Construction of the first t owe r i s e x p e c t e d t o b e g i n next month, which will be a 20-story mixed-use building with 700 studio units and onebedroom units. Meanwhile, construction of the remaining towers will begin in the next few years.

In 2018, the company invested P1 billion for the construction of two new residential projects in South Forbes Golf City in Sta. Rosa, Laguna — Cathay Land’s largest township to date.

In the area will rise Cathay’s low-rise condominium projects, namely Stanford Suites 3 and Fullerton Suites.

Stanford Suites 3 is aimed at young families, retirees and investors while Fullerton is for young families, educators and businessmen.

Both of the condominium projects will feature studio and onebedroom units.

˜ The Manila Times

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Special Feature

SUNDAY March 31, 2019

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SSUNDAY U N DAY MARCH 31,, 2019

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PhilHealth hastens UHC implementing rules and regulations Spectacular Easter Party at Diamond Hotel T

HE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) reported the crafting of Universal Health Care Law’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR) is currently in full swing with the recently held stakeholders’ forum and workshop among its technical working groups created for the purpose.

The state agency is hastening the crafting of its part in the IRR in fulkLMENT OF ITS COMMITMENT TO OPerationalize the UHC earlier than the six-month maximum timeline set by the law. “The sooner that we kNISH THE )22 WITH THE $EPARTment of Health), the earlier that this is subjected to public consultations, and more importantly the sooner it gets implemented for the

BENEkT OF OUR COUNTRYMEN WHO have waited for so long for this reform in the health sector,� Roy Ferrer, PhilHeath acting president AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFkCER SAID PhilHealth recently conducted a Health Care Financing Summit with the theme “Multiple Lenses, One Collective Stand on Health Financing: A Framework for Action� to gain expert and stakeholder insights on how to better approach health care financing issues as input and guide to the crafting of the UHC’s IRR. The event was well attended by local and international experts and representatives from the academe, health care providers, local governments, collecting partners, regulatory agencies, among others.

PhilHealth has also completed the first round of its IRR Workshop in Pampanga where the various Technical Working Groups presented and thoroughLY DEBATED ON THE kRST DRAFT OF THE IRR after a series of meetings and discussions with other national government agencies.

The UHC mandates that all Filipinos shall be automatically included in the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP); guarantees immediate eligibility to proGRAM BENEkTS AND FOR 0HIL(EALTH to come up with a comprehensive outpatient package which include outpatient drugs within two years after its enactment; among others. “These and many other provisions of UHC have given Phil-

Health a new set of challenges that we need to respond to with urgency and dispatch,� Ferrer noted, saying that “given the magnitude of these challenges, the entire PhilHealth organization gears up to this call and musters all needed resources for the formidable task.�

DoT, HK Yacht Club partner for Puerto Galera boat race THE $EPARTMENT OF 4OURISM $O4 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) and the Municipality of Puerto Galera, will be holding the Inaugural Hong Kong to Puerto Galera Yacht Race on April 17 to 21.

The race will start in RHKYC’s Kellett Island Clubhouse located in Causeway Bay, racing for a distance of 650 nautical miles passage to Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.

This will be the second longest Category 1 yacht race in Asia, after the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race.

Race organizers say that Puerto Galera is a perfect place to end the competition, as its surround-

ing beaches and coves offers activities and facilities one could wish for in a tropical paradise: scuba diving, snorkeling, golf, kayaking, hiking, swimming, tennis, bars, music and restaurants.

The Hong Kong to Puerto Galera Yacht Race is planned to take place on alternate years to the Rolex China Sea Race, which finishes in Subic Bay, Olongapo City, Zambales.

Last year’s edition of the Rolex China Sea Race saw 29 entries and the RHKYC expects similar numbers for the inaugural Hong attract more visitors to Puerto Kong to Puerto Galera Yacht Race. Galera, in line with the agency’s 4HE $O4 BELIEVES THAT THIS WILL thrust of boosting adventure-

of nicotine, propylene, glycol, glycerin, and flavorings. The liquid is converted into a mist, which is inhaled, or commonly known as “vaped�.

Unlike conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco. As such, they do not give off noxious gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, nor do they produce the carcinogenic tar that is released when tobacco is burned.

Nicotine, a known stimulant like caffeine, is found in e-cigarettes but does not cause cancer.

Myth 2: E-cigarettes are more toxic than cigarettes

A 2017 study by Cancer Research UK, one of the world’s leading independent charities dedicated to cancer research found that people who stopped smoking and switched to e-cigarettes or nicotine replacements have significantly lower levels of toxic and cancer-causing substances in their bodies compared to those who continued to smoke.

The research analyzed the saliva and urine samples of long-term e-cigarette and nicotine replacement therapy users, as well as smokers. The study concluded that e-cigarettes are a much safer alternative to

based tourism to the region based on the 2016-2022 National 4OURISM $EVELOPMENT 0LAN

conventional cigarettes with minimal long-term effects.

Myth 3: E-cigarette vapor is harmful to bystanders Given the health risks associated with second hand smoke from tobacco, several studies have been undertaken to understand the potential harm of inhaling passive vapor from e-cigarettes.

Three separate studies by Maciej Goniewicz of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Igor "URSTYN OF $REXEL 5NIVERSITY AND Public Health England, conclude that e-cigarette aerosols contain very low levels of toxicity and pose no apparent concern to bystanders.

Albay, Camarines Sur residents receive cash grants from PRC !)$ POURED IN FOR FAMIlies in Camarines Sur and Albay as the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) provided multipurpose cash grants to help them recover from the aftermath of Tropical $EPRESSION 5SMAN WHICH RAVaged the southern part of the COUNTRY IN $ECEMBER On March 19, PRC, in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, distributed P3,500 each to 917 families from Brgy. San Miguel and Brgy.

Ombao Polpog in the Municipality of Bula, Camarines Sur. This was followed by the distribution of cash grants to 300 most affected families Brgy. Maynonong, Brgy. Naga, and Brgy. Sugod

from the Municipality of Tiwi, Albay on March 20.

Chairman Richard Gordon said the cash grant empowers the BENEkCIARIES TO START ANEW FOLLOWing the devastation of Usman. “The Red Cross never forgets.

It’s been three months since Usman displaced thousands and we are still here to assure people that they will never walk alone. We are here to give them options,� Gordon said.

The distribution of multipurpose cash grant allows families to prioritize their immediate needs to recover from the impact of the disaster. $ATA FROM THE 02# /PERAtions Center shows that Usman damaged over 5,000 houses

Summer Vibes at Canary Lounge MAKE the most out of your year-long awaited season and indulge in an exclusive summer experience here at the Home of Happy Experiences.

Spend your summer at F1 Hotel Manila as we bring back our picturesque city-glamping vibe at Canary Lounge.

Fire up your Friday nights this March to May with our Barbeque Nights at Canary Lounge; a sizzling barbeque spread prepared by our chef’s and live acoustic performance by a crowd favorite, Jet Barrun .

Feel the island vibes at the heart of BGC while dining al fresco, available every Friday. Cap the moment and enjoy a Colossal Mojito good for

four persons to quench that thirst, and to make it more exciting, try its $ECONSTRUCTED "URRITO AVAILABLE DAILY Satisfy your evening staycation outdoors with some blockbusters at its Outdoor Movie Night every Saturday, available to all hotel guests. A great way to bond with your family or end the day is with drinks, a bit of snack, and quality movies at Canary Lounge.

Make your day sweeter with its Cashew Nut Sanrsival, baked to perfection with layers of buttercream, meringue and cashews to satisfy cravings in the sweetest way.

For more information, visit www. f1hotelmanila.com.

Book the Easter Staycation Package from April 14 to 21 and get ready TO HAVE AN g%ASTERRIkCu FAMILY STAYcation with an overnight stay in a $ELUXE 2OOM INCLUSIVE OF ONE FREE ticket (per room, per stay) to the Easter event on April 21.

Room packages are applicable to local residents only. Prior reservation is required. Offers may not be availed in conjunction with any other promotions or discounts.

Use the promo code: EASTAY when booking online.

For more information, visit diamondhotel.com.

Globe Telecom hosts third AIM awards for partners

Scientific studies reveal e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking IN the past couple of years, rigorOUS SCIENTIkC RESEARCH HAS BEEN published to understand the impact of e-cigarettes given their rapid popularity. Evidence shows that short and long-term use of e-cigarettes poses not only a reduced risk compared to smoking, but suggests that it can be used as an effective means of helping adult smokers quit.

Myth 1: E-cigarettes contain tobacco An e-cigarette is a type of electronic nicotine delivery systems (Ends). It is a battery-operated device that heats a cartridge of fluid that is typically made up

JOIN $IAMOND (OTEL 0HILIPPINES Easter Spectacle: Kids’ Party on Parade and come in your most CREATIVE COSTUME AT THE $IAMOND Ballroom on April 21.

Unleash your imagination and be the kind of character you wish to be — from a superhero who saves the world, a beautiful princess who believes in happily ever after, an adorable animal-like creature who explores the jungle, to an astronaut with a space mission.

Kids and adults alike can have a HEARTY kLL OF DELICIOUS SNACK BITES such as freshly baked cookies, juicy hotdog in a bun, spaghetti and chicken combo, and whole a lot more available for sale at the foyer. $IAMOND )NDULGENCE #ARDHOLDers are entitled to P100 off on the price, maximum of four tickets only for purchase. Kids who will participate in the costume parade will get a chance to win exciting prizes.

Mark the holiday week a time for R&R for the adults and a merrygo-round of fun treats for the kids.

Q Key leaders from Globe Information Systems Group (ISG) pose with IT partners at the 3rd ISG Movers Award ceremonies held recently at The Globe Tower in Bonifacio Global City.

GLOBE Telecom is pushing forward its digital agenda of enabling a customer-centric, agile organization by strengthening its ties with key innovation and information technology (IT) partners that have helped the company in providing customers with better services.

In line with this commitment, Globe awarded some of its innovation and IT partners that have championed digital disruption and customer centricity at its 3rd Annual ISG Movers (AIM) Awards, centered on adopting an agile mindset and leveraging on digitalization in order to build a resilient workplace of the future.

Globe declared Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, as “ISG Mover of the Year� for the third consecutive year for its support for Globe Telecom’s journey to become an IT partner of choice.

AWS was also named “Innovation Mover of the Year� together with Amdocs, a leading provider of software and services to communi-

cations and media companies, for the Amazon Connect implementation which helped Globe to deliver smarter customer service. Amdocs is also a member of the AWS Partner Network (APN).

OutSystems, the leading lowcode application development platform provider, was declared “New Mover of the Year,� while software solutions companies Openet and SMS Global Technologies were AWARDED AS WINNERS FOR g$ELIVERY Excellence Mover of the Year.�

Adding two new awards this year, software technology and applications developer Novare Technologies bagged the “Agile Partner of the Year� award, while DATA TECHNOLOGY kRM #LOUDERA WAS named “CTIO Mover of the Year.�

A special citation was also given to Ericsson, IBM, Infosys, Neural Technologies Limited, and Openet for supporting Globe in its award-winning 5G Patisserie and Blockchain Unleashed TM Forum #ATALYST PROJECTS

Binagbag music and arts festival in Subic

Q A senior citizen receives P3,500-cash from PRC. in Camarines Sur and Albay.

Landslides and flooding also

resulted in agricultural and livelihood losses.

ON April 27, Zoobic Safari in Subic, Zambales comes Binagbag, the biggest music and arts festival in Subic with Franco and more of the hottest local bands right now.

Zoomanity Group, the organizer, is expecting more than 2000 attendees to join the festivities that will start at 5:00 a.m., guests can also enjoy the whole 50 hectares theme park facility which is dubbed as the only Tiger Safari in the Philippines with more than 50 tigers and more than 200 species.

4HE EVENT IS FOR THE BENEkT OF THE Aetas in Subic for their livelihood and to help the indigent Aetas children.

Zoomanity Group is the leading theme park management in the Phil-

ippines that’s composed of Zoobic Safari in Subic, Zoocobia in Clark Pampanga, Paradizoo in Mendez Cavite, Zoocolate Thrills in Bohol and Zoori inside Residence Inn Tagaytay.

For more information, visit tagmediagroup.com

SMDC holds Happiness Run

Q SM Mall of Asia officially kicks off the International Day of Happiness with the first ever SMDC MOA Happiness Run in partnership with Runrio and Jollibee at Block 12 of MoA Concert Grounds.